West Virginia basketball is attempting to turn the page and create a new era in the program's history with the hiring of Darian DeVries, who fills the position Bob Huggins held for 16 years before resigning following his arrest for a suspected DUI.
When asked about WVU's hiring of DeVries, Huggins gave an unusual response.
“I don’t know enough to say anything. I’m not trying to duck the question, I don’t know enough. [DeVries] called me and I tried to explain to him that now is a bad time for me because I’ve been in southern West Virginia, I’ve been in northern West Virginia. I’ve been everywhere. I’ve been everywhere trying to help the people in the state of West Virginia. That’s what I wanted to do. I wanted to see what I could do to help the people in the state of West Virginia.”
Bob Huggins resignation as West Virginia basketball coach, explained
On June 16, 2023, Huggins was arrested in Pittsburgh and charged with a DUI. This was the second time Huggins had been arrested and charged with DUI during his coaching career; he pleaded no contest to the first charge back in 2004 when he was the head coach at Cincinnati.
The following day, Huggins, who was set to be suspended for the first three games of the season for using a homophobic slur during a radio interview in May, released a statement a day after being arrested announcing his resignation and retirement from coaching.
“My recent actions do not represent the values of the University or the leadership expected in this role,” the resignation letter read. “While I have always tried to represent our University with honor, I have let all of you — and myself — down. … I must do better, and I plan to spend the next few months focused on my health and my family so that I can be the person they deserve.”
On July 2, just over two weeks after resigning, Huggins claimed that he had not written nor approved of any resignation letter and that he wanted to resume his responsibilities as West Virginia head basketball coach.
“I did not draft or review WVU's statement,” Huggins wrote. “This false statement was sent under my name, but no signature is included. … I am employed by WVU pursuant to an Employment Agreement. I never submitted the notice required under the Employment Agreement to voluntarily resign.”
West Virginia's athletics department did not acquiesce to Huggins' request to return to his former position. Josh Eilert, who has spent his entire coaching career under Huggins, had been named the Mountaineers' interim head coach in late June and remained despite Huggins' wish to come back.
After a 9-23 season, only the program's second single-digit-win season since 1944, West Virginia conducted a national coaching search and ultimately landed on Darian DeVries, who spent the last six seasons as the head coach at Drake.
DeVries mentioned during his introductory press conference that he had spoken with a few former WVU coaches to “get their input on the program and the success they've had here.”
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