Huggins seeking reinstatement; WVU’s attorney calls claims “completely factually inaccurate”

Read documents from attorneys representing Huggins, WVU

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia University is rejecting an attempt made by former head men’s basketball coach Bob Huggins to reclaim his job, according to documents obtained by WBOY and Gold and Blue Nation.  

On Friday, a lawyer representing Huggins, who resigned and retired on June 17 following a DUI arrest in Pittsburgh the day before, wrote a letter to WVU president E. Gordon Gee, requesting to plan Huggins’ “return to active duties” as head men’s basketball coach. According to the letter, which was provided by a WVU officials, Huggins seeks “a correction of a clear breach of his employment agreement with WVU.”  

The letter from attorney David A. Campbell also claims that Huggins “never signed a resignation letter and never communicated a resignation to anyone at WVU.” 

Stephanie D. Taylor, WVU’s general counsel, responded in a letter Saturday, stating that the claims made by Huggins’ attorney are “completely factually inaccurate.”  

“Notwithstanding any response, and in no uncertain terms, 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,” Taylor wrote in the letter. “Moreover, if Mr. Huggins or his counsel attempts to publicly suggest that he somehow did not resign and retire from his position, please be advised that the University will swiftly and aggressively defend itself from these spurious allegations.” 

The letter from WVU’s general counsel also states that the university has been in contact with multiple different lawyers who represent Huggins: Campbell is the lawyer who wrote the letter to WVU claiming Huggins’ never communicated his resignation; James “Rocky” Gianola is Huggins’ longtime lawyer who represented him through a contract amendment in May and in conversations leading up to his resignation in June; and Bob Fitzsimmons is a third attorney who contacted the university as recently as Friday to discuss benefits Huggins will receive as a result of his resignation and retirement.  

WVU officials also provided a copy of Huggins’ resignation email to WBOY and Gold and Blue Nation. The correspondence was sent via email to WVU deputy athletic director Steve Uryasz shortly after 9:30 p.m. ET on June 17. The email came from an account associated with June Huggins, the wife of the hall of fame basketball coach.  

“Please accept this correspondence as my formal notice of resignation as Head Men’s Basketball Coach and as notice of my retirement from West Virginia University, effective immediately,” the email reads.  

All documents obtained by WBOY and Gold and Blue Nation — the resignation email, a separate email from an attorney detailing acceptable language for Huggins’ resignation email and the two letters regarding Huggins’ attempt to seek reinstatement — can be viewed in their entirety below: