This is a Major Mess in West Virginia for Former Cowboy Wren Baker to Clean Up

The day where the college athletics world first heard about WVU Hall of Fame basketball coach Bob Huggins being arrested and charged for driving under the influence in Pittsburgh, Pa. back on June 16, we all knew that was it for Huggins as hoops coach in Morgantown. Heap that situation with Huggins’ blood-alcohol content measuring more than twice the legal limit and this was a case envisioned much worse than a man stumbling about his SUV, but a man that could have been in an accident that seriously injured somebody even killed an innocent victim. 

Most people consider driving under the influence as a crime with a potential victim and not a victimless crime even when nobody is injured. This came on top of a radio talk show incident where Huggins had used offensive language toward LGBTQ individuals. 

Rob Ferguson-USA TODAY Sports

Bob Huggins

The Hall of Fame basketball coach wasn’t just having a bad spell, he was destroying his job status. The reports out of West Virginia were that Huggins resigned his job, even met with his staff and team to tell them he would no longer be coaching. West Virginia and new athletics director Wren Baker, a former student manager at Oklahoma State for Hall of Fame head coach Eddie Sutton that went on to serve as a member of Sutton’s support staff accepted the resignation and after a rushed search promoted Huggins’ assistant Josh Eilert. 

Now, Huggins wants his job back and in a letter from his attorney claims that he never resigned his job at WVU head basketball coach. This story and the contents of the letter from Huggins’ attorney were first reported by the Associated Press.

Huggins’ Cleveland, Ohio-based attorney, David A. Campbell, wrote to the university Friday that Huggins “never signed a resignation letter and never communicated a resignation to anyone at WVU,” according to the letter, which The Associated Press obtained on July 8, 2023.

The letter threatens a lawsuit if Huggins isn’t reinstated to his positions and outlines that by the letter of his contract that he did not give up his job. The letter further states that Huggins presumed resignation by the University was the result of an email from Higgin’s wife to deputaty athletic director and a former Oklahoma State assistant athletic director Steve Uryasz.

University of North Texas Athletics

Baker (middle) in happier days being named AD at North Texas.

The WVU response is that they are confused by the content of the letter demanding Huggins be reinstated. 

This is now a huge mess for Baker to have to clean up, on top of all that has transpired with Huggins and a football program and football head coach Neal Brown that is under pressure and Brown’s desk chair is very hot.

The letter does threaten legal action if Huggins is not reinstated, but the language in the letter states: that Huggins “does not desire litigation. Rather, he is simply looking for the correction of a clear breach of his employment agreement with WVU.”

Bob Huggins is the third-winningest coach in Division I with 935 victories.