Former West Virginia Head Coach Bob Huggins Enters Alchohol-Rehab Program to Resolve DUI

Bob Huggins, the former West Virginia men's basketball head coach, has entered a 12-month program to resolve his June 16 DUI arrest, according to the Associated Press.

Huggins, 69, was scheduled for a formal arraignment on Thursday, but upon his entry last month into a first-time offenders program — an Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition — the hearing was canceled.

Once Huggins completes that program, all charges will be dropped. Court records show that his wife, June, has already paid the necessary $2,810 in court fees.

On June 16, Huggins was arrested and charged with a DUI in Pittsburgh. According to officers, he stopped his SUV in the middle of traffic with a shredded tire. A breath test determined that his blood alcohol content (BAC) was .210% — the legal limit in the state of Pennsylvania is 0.08%.

The day after his arrest, West Virginia released a resignation and retirement statement in Huggins' name, which read, "my recent actions do not represent the values of the University or the leadership expected in this role. While I have always tried to represent our University with honor, I have let all of you — and myself — down.

"I am solely responsible for my conduct and sincerely apologize to the University community — particularly to the student-athletes, coaches and staff in our program. 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 8, Huggins' attorney, David A. Campbell, wrote a letter to the university asserting that the longtime Mountaineer head coach didn't give a "formal" resignation to the school, and that his wife, June, sent the original resignation letter. The letter, obtained by ESPN' Myron Medcalf, said Huggins would sue West Virginia if he was not reinstated as head coach.

That same day, Stephanie D. Taylor, vice president and general counsel for the WVU, wrote, "the University will swiftly and aggressively defend itself from these spurious allegations," if Campbell or Huggins publicly suggested that the latter had not resigned and retired from his post.

Two days later, Huggins reiterated the claims made by Campbell, writing, "I did not draft or review WVU's statement. 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."

Weeks before the DUI arrest, Huggins had been suspended for using an anti-gay slur during a radio interview. On May 8, during an interview on Cincinnati radio station 700 WLW, Huggins used a homophobic slur to demean fans of Xavier University. He also mocked the school's Jesuit affiliation.

Huggins apologized for the remarks in a university release, was suspended by the university for the first three games and had his annual salary reduced by $1 million.

Before his tenure at West Virginia, Huggins coached at Cincinnati (1989-2005) and Kansas State (2006-07). In June of 2004, Huggins was arrested and charged with a DUI in Fairfax, Ohio. In August of 2005, he was forced to resign by University of Cincinnati President Nancy L. Zimpher, with the DUI being one of multiple reasons for the move.

Last year, Huggins was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.