Bob Huggins arrested for DUI weeks after punishment for anti-gay slur
Bob Huggins is back in hot water.
The longtime West Virginia men’s basketball coach was arrested Friday night for driving under the influence.
It’s the second time in just six weeks that the Hall of Fame coach has found himself in controversy after he recently received a suspension and was forced to take a reduced salary for uttering an anti-gay slur.
“West Virginia University is aware of an incident last night involving Head Men’s Basketball Coach Bob Huggins, for which he was charged with Driving Under the Influence (DUI) in the City of Pittsburgh,” the University of West Virginia said in a statement. “We are gathering more information and will take appropriate action once the review is complete.”
The criminal complaint claims Huggins had a blood alcohol level of .210 — nearly three times the legal limit — and had empty beers in a trash bag in his car, according to WCHS-TV.
Police observed a black SUV blocking traffic just before 8:30 p.m. Friday night, according to ESPN, which had a “flat and shredded tire” with the driver’s side door open.
They directed Huggins to move his vehicle and stop blocking traffic, per the report, but he had difficulty maneuvering his car, and authorities subsequently pulled him over.
Officers performed field sobriety tests after questioning Huggins, which he failed.
Huggins, 69, was released and will have a preliminary hearing set for a later date.
In 2004, Huggins — while coaching Cincinnati — was also arrested for drunk driving and later resigned after the incident.
In May, Huggins referred to Xavier fans as “catholic f–s” during an interview with Bill Cunningham on WLW in Cincinnati.
After immediate backlash, Huggins was suspended for the first three games next season, had his salary reduced by $1 million — from $4.2 million to $3.2 million — and must take part in sensitivity training.
Additionally, Huggins’ contract was made into a year-to-year agreement, perhaps paving the way for the school to move on after the season.
Regardless, West Virginia faced stiff pushback, with critics claiming the punishment was too light, and some saying he should have been fired.
“I deeply regret my actions, the hurt they unfairly caused others and the negative attention my words have brought to West Virginia University,” Huggins said in a statement after receiving the punishment for the radio incident. “I also regret the embarrassment and disappointment it has caused our athletics family, members of our campus community and the state of West Virginia.”
Huggins has been at West Virginia since 2007 and is the winningest active coach in the country with 863 career wins.