Morgantown, West Virginia – Bob Huggins is a dying breed. He’s tough, gruff and he tells it like it is. In an age in college basketball where coaches will do and say anything to get a player to commit to play for them, Huggins is honest.
Over the course of an exceptional career, Huggins has produced results and consistently put his team in position to succeed, and he’s done it his way.
900 wins is difficult for anyone, but particularly for a coach like Bob Huggins, who has not had the same talented players that other coaches in the “900 Club” have (see: Coach K, Roy Williams, Jim Boeheim, etc.) and who hasn’t conformed to the ugly side of the sport like his “close, personal friend” John Calipari has.
Huggins has done it the honest, hard way, which makes his accomplishments even more impressive.
Former college basketball coach turned ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla recently said it best: “Few are tougher and more demanding on their players than Huggins. It’s not in vogue anymore. But his connection with his team is real. (I’ve) seen it many, many times.”
Few are tougher & more demanding on their players than @CoachHuggs. It’s not in vogue anymore. But this connection with his team is real. Seen it many, many times. https://t.co/jpYnvLbRlN
— Fran Fraschilla (@franfraschilla) March 20, 2021
While Huggins is clearly very tough and demanding on his players in practice and during games, he also has obviously built a relationship with the guys on his team that allows him to push them to their limit without crossing lines.
In a world full of players who only care about themselves, Huggins has somehow convinced very talented players – most originally not born in West Virginia – to put the team in front of the individual for the sake of the collective effort and a state that he loves more than life itself.
Say what you will about Huggins, but the Mountaineers play for the state of West Virginia and its people, and we can thank Bob Huggins for that.
