Bob Huggins: The Coach of West Virginia Basketball
Contents
- Who is Bob Huggins?
- The early years of Bob Huggins’ coaching career
- The ’90s: Huggins’ most successful decade as a coach
- The 2000s: Huggins’ return to college basketball
- The 2010s: Huggins’ continued success at West Virginia
- The style of play of Bob Huggins’ teams
- The players that have thrived under Huggins
- The challenges that Huggins has faced as a coach
- The legacy of Bob Huggins
- The future of West Virginia Basketball under Huggins
Bob Huggins is the current Head Coach of the West Virginia men’s basketball team He has been coaching the Mountaineers since 2007, and has led them to some impressive results.
Under Huggins’ leadership, West Virginia has made the NCAA tournament seven times, including five Sweet Sixteen appearances and one trip to the Elite Eight. They have also won the Big East conference tournament twice.
Huggins is known for his tough coaching style, and he has
Who is Bob Huggins?
Bob Huggins is an American college basketball coach He is the head coach of the West Virginia Mountaineers men’s Basketball team Huggins previously held head coaching positions at the University of Cincinnati and Kansas State University
Huggins has led West Virginia to six NCAA Tournament appearances and two Sweet Sixteen appearances since he took over as Head Coach in 2007. He has also been named Big East Coach of the Year three times.
Huggins is known for his intense coaching style and for his success in recruiting players from inner-city neighborhoods. He has been criticized for his team’s slow pace of play and for his players’ poor academic performance.
The early years of Bob Huggins’ coaching career
Bob Huggins was born in 1952 in Morgantown, West Virginia He played college basketball at the University of West Virginia where he was a two-time All-American. After graduation, he became an Assistant Coach at his alma mater. He then spent one season as Head coach at West Virginia Tech before returning to West Virginia as an assistant coach under head coach Gale Catlett.
In 1978, Huggins became the head coach at the University of Akron. In his first season, he led the Zips to a 23-5 record and their first NCAA tournament appearance in school history. He coached Akron for six seasons, winning 20 or more games in four of those seasons. In 1983-84, he led the Zips to a 30-4 record and their first conference championship in school history.
In 1984, Huggins returned to West Virginia as the head coach In his first season back, he led the Mountaineers to a 24-8 record and their first NCAA tournament appearance in six years. Huggins has coached West Virginia for 14 seasons, winning 20 or more games 12 times. His teams have made 11 NCAA tournament appearances and have won five conference championships
The ’90s: Huggins’ most successful decade as a coach
In the 1990s, Huggins was the head coach of the University of Cincinnati Bearcats. During this decade, Huggins led the Bearcats to nine NCAA tournaments, six conference regular season titles, five conference tournament titles, and four Sweet Sixteen appearances. In 1991 and 1992, Huggins was named National Coach of the Year. In 2002, Huggins was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
The 2000s: Huggins’ return to college basketball
In the early 2000s, Huggins went through a tough time in his life. He was fired from his job as head coach of the Cincinnati Bearcats after 16 seasons. This was a very tough time for Huggins, as he had to deal with the death of his son, Adrian, who died of a drug overdose.
After a few years away from college coaching, Huggins was hired by West Virginia University in 2007. He has since turned the Basketball Program around, and has led the team to several NCAA Tournament appearances. Huggins is now considered one of the best coaches in college basketball
The 2010s: Huggins’ continued success at West Virginia
In the 2010s, Huggins’ teams have continued to find success. In 2011, West Virginia again made it to the NCAA Tournament They made it to the Elite Eight, but lost to Kentucky. In 2012, West Virginia made it back to the NCAA tournament but lost in the first round. In 2013, Huggins led West Virginia to a share of the Big 12 regular season title. They made it back to the NCAA Tournament but lost in the first round again. In 2014, Huggins coached West Virginia to another Big 12 Regular Season title. They made it back to the NCAA Tournament and made it to the Sweet Sixteen before losing to Kentucky.
The style of play of Bob Huggins’ teams
Each of Bob Huggins’ teams has had a unique style of play that has been successful in the NCAA. Huggins teams are known for their Full Court press, aggressive defense, and physical play. His Mountaineers teams have been among the NCAA leaders in steals and turnover margin.
The players that have thrived under Huggins
Players like Jaysean Paige, Tarik Phillip and Jevon Carter have all taken big steps forward under Head Coach Bob Huggins. Huggins has coached West Virginia to a Sweet 16 appearance and an Elite Eight appearance in the last two seasons.
The challenges that Huggins has faced as a coach
Bob Huggins, the current head coach of the West Virginia Mountaineers men’s basketball team has been a successful coach for over three decades. He has led his teams to several conference championships and NCAA tournament appearances. Despite his successes, Huggins has also faced many challenges as a coach.
In 1989, Huggins was hired as the head coach of the Cincinnati Bearcats He quickly turned the team into a powerhouse, leading them to 14 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. However, Huggins was abruptly fired in 2005 after a string of off-the-court incidents involving Cincinnati players.
Huggins resurfaced in 2007, taking over as head coach of the Kansas State Wildcats. His time at Kansas State was successful, but short-lived; he left after just two seasons to return to his alma mater, West Virginia
Since returning to West Virginia, Huggins has continued to build a successful program. The Mountaineers have made the NCAA tournament in each of the past five seasons, including a trip to the Sweet Sixteen in 2015. However, they have yet to make it to the Final Four under Huggins’ tenure.
Despite all of his successes and failures, Bob Huggins remains one of the most successful and well-respected coaches in College Basketball today.
The legacy of Bob Huggins
Bob Huggins is considered one of the great Basketball Coaches of his generation. He has led his teams to many victories, including a National Championship in 2006. He is also the winningest coach in West Virginia history. His impact on the game of basketball is undeniable.
Bob Huggins was born in 1951 in Morgantown, West Virginia. He played basketball for West Virginia University from 1969 to 1972. After college, he began his coaching career as an assistant coach at the University of Akron. He then became the head coach at Walsh University, where he led the team to a Division II National Championship in 1980.
Huggins then moved on to Ohio State University where he led the team to four NCAA Tournament appearances In 1989, he was named the Head Coach at the University of Cincinnati There, he led the team to 14 NCAA tournament appearances and 5 Conference Championships. In 2005, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
In 2007, Huggins returned to his alma mater, West Virginia University where he has continued to have success. His teams have made it to the NCAA Tournament 8 times since he has been back, including a Final Four appearance in 2010. His legacy as one of the great basketball coaches of our time is secure.
The future of West Virginia Basketball under Huggins
In his 11 seasons as head coach of the West Virginia Mountaineers Bob Huggins has compiled a 272-134 record (.671), won eight conference championships and made 10 NCAA tournament appearances, including two Final Fours. His teams have also reached the NIT four times. Huggins has been named Coach of the Year five times, most recently in 2010. He is the only active Division I head coach with 800 career wins.