As you're certainly aware, Bob Huggins dropped himself into a vat of boiling water by dropping a bigoted slur on the radio. Aside from the obvious, the incident was instructive as to how West Virginia handled it. Many, many in the public called for the firing of the 69-year-old Basketball Hall of Famer. Those close to the program indicated that was unlikely to happen.
On Wednesday, WVU announced its resolution.
Huggins will not be fired. Instead, he'll be subjected to a series of punishments and corrective actions:
-- A 3-game suspension, to be served at the outset of the 2023-24 season
-- A $1 million salary reduction, to be used to "directly support WVU's LGBTQ+ Center, the Carruth Center and other state and national organizations that support marginalized communities."
-- Huggins will be required to make a "substantial" donation to Xavier to support its Center for Faith and Justice and its Center for Diversity and Inclusion
-- Huggins's contract will now move to a year-to-year agreement, effective immediately
-- Huggins will be required to meet with leadership from WVU's Carruth Center "to better understand the mental health crisis facing our college students, particularly those in marginalized communities" and with LGBTQ+ leaders from across West Virginia
Additionally, WVU will work with its LGBTQ+ Center to develop annual training exercises, which will be mandatory for Huggins and all current and future WVU coaches.
Huggins will also be expected to engage in "additional opportunities" to show support for the LGBTQ+ community and understands WVU has made it "explicitly" clear that similar marks are grounds for immediate termination.
"We will never truly know the damage that has been done by the words said in those 90 seconds. Words matter and they can leave scars that can never be seen. But words can also heal," a statement attributed to WVU president Gordon Gee and AD Wren Baker said. "And by taking this moment to learn more about another's perspective, speak respectfully and lead with understanding, perhaps the words "do better" will lead to meaningful change for all."
"I have no excuse for the language I used, and I take full responsibility. I will abide with the actions outlined by the University and Athletics leadership to learn from this incident," Huggins said. "I have had several conversations with colleagues and friends that I deeply respect and admire over the last 24 hours, and I am keenly aware of the pain that I have caused. I meant what I wrote on Monday - I will do better."