Huggins mulls leaving K-State for West Virginia

[MajorMike]

April 4, 2007
By Gary Parrish
CBS SportsLine.com Senior Writer

An impromptu rally on campus designed to raise support to help Kansas State keep Bob Huggins was canceled Wednesday night amid speculation the West Virginia graduate could be close to returning to his alma mater after one season with the Wildcats.

A source close to the situation told CBS SportsLine.com over the weekend that if John Beilein left for Michigan, then Huggins would be West Virginia's top target. Now, according to another source, Huggins is seriously considering the opportunity, but he's struggling with whether to pursue his desire of returning to the Big East at the expense of walking away from a Kansas State roster full of elite-level talents who would've never considered attending KSU if not for Huggins luring them to a remote part of the country far away from their homes.

Most notably, that list includes Bill Walker and Michael Beasley. Both could've gone anywhere in the nation, but each picked Kansas State -- hardly a traditional basketball power, at least in recent years -- based solely on Huggins or hires Huggins made upon accepting the KSU job a little more than a year ago.

According to a source, the ideal situation for Huggins would've been for the West Virginia job to open after next season, that way he could've exited Kansas State at the same time Walker and Beasley presumably turned pro. In other words, a move to West Virginia would've been a no-brainer for Huggins after the 2007-08 season, but under these cir stances, at this point, he's genuinely torn.

If Huggins leaves the trickle-down effect could be interesting.

Walker, a rising sop re, is probably stuck at KSU regardless because transferring would force the 6-foot-6 wing to miss all of next season before regaining his eligibility -- meaning that's a senseless move considering Walker will likely enter the 2008 NBA Draft. But if Huggins left Kansas State, Beasley would almost certainly ask for his release from a national letter of intent, and if it was granted, the incoming freshman would be free to reopen his recruitment or perhaps even follow Huggins to West Virginia if KSU didn't object.

Attempts Wednesday to reach Huggins were unsuccessful.

Huggins led Kansas State to the NIT this past season. The Wildcats finished 23-12 overall. Prior to KSU, Huggins compiled a 399-127 record in 16 seasons at Cincinnati before resigning under pressure in August 2005. The forced resignation came a year after a highly publicized DUI arrest.

[MajorMike]

Oooops.

Huggins to coach West Virginia
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Jeff Goodman / FOXSports.com
Posted: 41 minutes ago



Bob Huggins is returning to West Virginia.

The Kansas State head coach, who took over the program a year ago, has reached a tentative agreement to coach the Mountaineers, according to sources close to the situation.
Huggins is expected to get on a plane and fly to Morgantown later today. A news conference is slated for Friday.

Huggins met with representatives from West Virginia in Ohio in the past few days — after John Beilein left for Michigan. He returned to Manhattan on Wednesday night and reached the decision to leave Kansas State for West Virginia. He then met with the president and athletic director at Kansas State and while he was torn with the decision, he has decided to return home.

Huggins, 53, was born in Morgantown and played at West Virginia. He was also a graduate assistant at the school.

Huggins was passed over last time the job opened — partially because West Virginia president David Hardesty Jr., was not a Huggins supporter. Hardesty is retiring in September and does not have much — if at all — to do with the hiring this time around.

A new president will likely be selected in the next two weeks.

This decision wasn't about money.

Huggins was hired by Kansas State athletic director Tim Weiser a year ago and Huggins felt some loyalty because Weiser and the administration has been good to him — after he was fired at Cincinnati.

Kansas State finished 23-12 and made it to the NIT this past season and were expected to be even better next year. Athletic forward Bill Walker is scheduled to return from a torn ACL and Huggins was also set to add one of the most talented players in the country, forward Michael Beasley, along with point guard Jacob Pullen — a critical piece of the team because of his toughness and ability to run a team.

It's unclear whether Beasley and Walker will try to follow him to West Virginia. Beasley would have to be let out of his letter-of-intent while Walker would have to sit out a year due to transfer rules.

[leemajors]

ouch. they gave him a gig after what he did at cincy and he bolts. nice.

[MajorMike]

Where is KState fan, who was defending what a good and upstanding man Huggybear is?

[ShoogarBear]

Man, I wonder if Beasley will still be coming to K-State? I heard that they are trying to hire his top assistant to replace him before he goes with Huggy and take the recruits with him.

And I've heard rumors that this may make OJ Mayo reconsider. Apparently his mom always wanted him to play for Huggins, and now he's coaching the home state team.

Just slimy all the way around.

[JMarkJohns]

Walker will play out next year at K-state after injury, trying to work his way into the first round. Beasley could follow, but even if he doesn't, he was just a one-year player anyhow, though Huggins is certainly used to not coaching his recruits past their first and second years. Didn't he have the worst graduation rate amongst basketball programs?

[leemajors]

Walker will play out next year at K-state after injury, trying to work his way into the first round. Beasley could follow, but even if he doesn't, he was just a one-year player anyhow, though Huggins is certainly used to not coaching his recruits past their first and second years. Didn't he have the worst graduation rate amongst basketball programs?

worst or one of the worst.

[ShoogarBear]

Huggy's motto has always been "going to class is no subs ute for having class".

[JMarkJohns]

I'm pretty sure he went several years without graduating a player due to early entry or transfers. I'm thinking at least four or five years.

[K-State Spur]

Where is KState fan, who was defending what a good and upstanding man Huggybear is?

i don't believe i said that. i said the way the ncaa tabulates grad rates are BS and that for all the talk of huggins recruiting thugs, the number of arrests his players have wasn't significantly greater than that of other schools.

[K-State Spur]

If there is one thing our fan base has learned over the past decade, it's that whenever there is an opportunity for us to get screwed over, it happens.

Only top 4 BCS team to not go to a BCS bowl (they even put in a rule to change this AFTER that season).
First 20 win/10 win basketball team not to go to the tournament (Syracuse joined us here).
Only top 4 Big 12 finisher not to go to the tournament (but 5th place got to go).

#1 recruiting class, things are looking bright, the coach jumps ship...makes sense.

[Kevin Blackistone]

Avatar Change!!!

[Kevin Blackistone]

Avatar Change!!!

damn, you changed it at the exact time I posted that. Sweet timing