MORGANTOWN — Bob Huggins is seeking another victory, a legal one in which his attorney is pushing for the Hall-of-Famer to be reinstated as the WVU head men’s basketball coach.
According to a letter sent to WVU President E. Gordon Gee on Friday by Cleveland-based lawyer David A. Campbell, Huggins claims he never officially resigned on June 17 and that he will sue if not reinstated by the university.
WVU responded to the letter on Saturday, stating Huggins had clearly announced his resignation to his players and assistant coaches, as well as with correspondence with past lawyers who had represented Huggins in university matters.
“… the University will not accept Mr. Huggins’ revocation of his resignation, nor will it reinstate him as head coach of the men’s basketball program,” WVU’s response read.
The university’s response came from Stephanie D. Taylor, WVU’s Vice President & General Counsel.
Huggins’ resignation was announced on June 17, a day after he had been arrested and charged with a DUI in Pittsburgh, while registering a blood alcohol content of 0.21%. The legal limit in Pennsylvania is 0.08%.
In a statement from Huggins released by WVU on June 17, Huggins said, “Today, I have submitted a letter to President Gordon Gee and Vice President and Director of Athletics Wren Baker informing them of my resignation and intention to retire as head men’s basketball coach at West Virginia University effective immediately.”
Campbell’s letter to Gee, however, stated Huggins never officially announced his resignation or sent such correspondence and that WVU officials instead accepted a text message from Bob’s wife, June Huggins, as Bob Huggins’ resignation.
“… although the press statements purport to have resignation communications directly from Coach Huggins to you and/or the Athletic Director, Coach Huggins has never communicated his resignation to you, the Athletic Director, or anyone at WVU,” Campbell’s letter read. “To the contrary, we understand that the purported “resignation” is incredibly based on a text message from Coach Huggins’ wife.”
Campbell’s letter also claims Huggins never officially sent a letter of resignation by registered or certified mail to the university, which is a requirement stated in Section XIV of Huggins’ contract.
“There is no signed writing or proper notice setting forth Coach Huggins’ resignation from employment with WVU,” the letter said. “Accordingly, pursuant to the plain terms of the Employment Agreement (Huggins’ contract), Coach Huggins remains the Head Basketball Coach for WVU — there was never a resignation pursuant to the plain terms of Section XIV of the Employment Agreement.”
Campbell’s letter also states Huggins has voluntarily entered an alcohol rehabilitation program and that his “incident” in Pittsburgh “is now close to being fully resolved without charges.” Campbell’s letter accuses WVU of acting too hastily and that the school “was not interested in determining the nature of the Pittsburgh incident, Coach Huggins’ statement on the incident, or rehabilitation. Rather, the day following the incident, WVU demanded Coach Huggins’ resignation.”
WVU promoted Josh Eilert as the interim head coach on June 24. On that same day, WVU athletic director Wren Baker confirmed the university signed no separation agreement with Huggins, which would have spelled out terms of Huggins’ resignation in further detail.
In past WVU separation agreements, details included financial terms for monies owed, if any, as well as an agreement by both parties to not seek legal claims against the other.
It is not known how long Campbell, a lawyer for Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP, has represented Huggins, which could be an important note.
WVU’s response states it was working through Huggins’ resignation with state lawyers Bob Fitzsimmons (Wheeling) and James “Rocky” Gianola (Morgantown).
Gianola had represented Huggins during contract negotiations, as well as this past May, when the school amended Huggins’ contract following his interview with a Cincinnati radio station, in which Huggins twice used an anti-gay slur.
Fitzsimmons was one of three lawyers recently representing Huggins in a Pittsburgh Municipal Court to waive his right to a preliminary hearing on the DUI charges.
“It appears to us that you may not be aware that Mr. Fitzsimmons, as Mr. Huggins’ other lawyer, has been proceeding under that very same understanding as the University, and the reality as it exists, that Mr. Huggins has in fact resigned and is retired,” WVU’s response states.
WVU asked for clarification on whether it should continue to work with Gianola and Fitzsimmons — Gianola is Huggins’ point of contact on his contract with the school — or move forward with responses “to meritless demand letters and possible frivolous litigation brought forth by (Campbell).”
“What is clear, however, is that on the evening of June 17, 2023, Mr. Huggins met with members of the men’s basketball staff and student-athletes to announce that he would no longer be coaching the team,” WVU’s response stated. “The same evening at 9:38 p.m., following a series of written and verbal communications with Mr. Gianola, who was acting as his counsel, Mr. Huggins clearly communicated his resignation and retirement to the University in writing via email (not text message as asserted in your letter).”
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