Cincinnati ? Bob Huggins’ loyalty to Cincinnati won out over his allegiance to his alma mater.

Huggins decided to stay with the Bearcats on Monday, turning down West Virginia’s offer to take over as head basketball coach.

“It was a very hard decision,” Huggins told The Associated Press on Monday night. “Both schools have been great to me.”

Huggins said that consideration of his family and his players played a part in his decision, but the support of the community and working conditions at Cincinnati also were deciding factors.

“UC is a great place, and the community has been great to me for 13 years,” Huggins said.

After being courted by West Virginia, Huggins had a series of meetings with Cincinnati athletic director Bob Goin, the latest on Monday afternoon.

Huggins informed West Virginia officials of his decision early Monday evening.

“Today we got the feeling things weren’t going where we thought we were going with it,” West Virginia assistant athletic director Mike Parsons said. “He wished us well and offered to help the university in any way he could.”