K-State coach Huggins going to West Virginia / LJWorld.com

Archive for Thursday, April 5, 2007

K-State coach Huggins going to West Virginia

April 5, 2007

Basketball coach Bob Huggins told Kansas State officials that he is leaving the school for his alma mater, West Virginia, GoPowercat.com is reporting. More details to come.

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super_jayhawk 7 years, 10 months ago

Just a thought....

Do you suppose that maybe Huggins is a smarter man than we gave him credit for, and realized that you can't spell "sucks" without "KSU"?

Or maybe it was the smell of the wind whipping up in Manhattan on a hot summer day that drove him to hit the ejector seat? They probably don't have smells anything like that in West Virginia. Not with all that fresh mountain air! Maybe that's what drove him over the edge?

But then again, like I said, maybe he's just a very smart guy. Maybe he figured out in one year the same conclusion that took Kruger, Altman, Asbury and Woolridge years to figure out that if you're the K-State coach, the best thing to do for your career is to be somewhere else!

But seriously, folks! Maybe they can take the cash from his buyout clause in his contract and get a decent mascot, instead of just a wildcat head. (I give you : http://www.k-state.com/%7Bdyn.img%7D/d77b415d9b764ba6abdddff8978c0f71/Willie%20and%20friend.jpg ) . Maybe K-State fans would care more if they had a real mascot with a full body, like the Northwestern University Wildcat! ( http://www.watchingallangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/11/willie%20the%20wildcat.jpg ). Maybe the Wildcats just need to find the money to come up with a full body! Maybe we could do a Jerry Lewis telethon! (Begins teary-eyed plea)... won't you help KSU get a real mascot that doesn't look like a K-State football player got hit with The Ugly Stick? Call now!

With regards to competitiveness in the Big Twelve, Huggins and K-State were one team that KU plays twice in the regular season. KU can easily make up for this in the nonconference schedule by playing name opponents, as they tend to. The Big XII North was pretty much the same as it is now in 2002 and 2003 when KU went to two Final Fours, so as far as the preparation your conference schedule gives you, I think that only counts for the first 2-3 rounds of the tournament. By the time you get to the Elite Eight, you'd better bring your best game and be ready to play against any of the big-name programs in the country, or you're going home. What conference you happen to be from has less bearing than what you bring to the court on game day. I think Huggins (and whatever KSU coach succeeds him) has less control over that than the Jayhawks do. And with a smarter, more mature KU team this next year that has some real tournament-grinding experience under their belt. I didn't like the UCLA loss any more than than anyone, but it should provide as an object lesson that the Jayhawks need to work on their poise, composure, and on their desire to want it worse than the other team. KU was taught a similarly painful lesson by Duke in 2000, and came back to be at two Final Fours only 2-3 years later.

Kristen Murphy 7 years, 10 months ago

BOOO!! You stink Huggins!!! Now all K-State fans will be burning their "Huggieville" shirts.

How much longer before Beasley wants to be released? Will Walker wanna sit out another year in order to follow Huggins? We shall see. All I got to say is - fanfreakintastic.

Kevin Sontag 7 years, 10 months ago

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

That is so awesome!

calvin 7 years, 10 months ago

Awesome. Now all of the recruits that followed Huggie to K-State can follow him to West Virginia. Did anyone really expect a guy with such a bad character to stay with K-State? They gave him a chance and then he bolts, but now KU can continue our streak against them!

countrygirl 7 years, 10 months ago

Gee KU fans--does this remind you of Roy at all? Coach turns down job at home school once but can't pass it up the second time? KU needs the Big 12 to be strong to get any credit when it comes to post season. You should hope that other schools in the conference hire good coaches and build good programs. Not something that will just make them a doormat and not give the better teams any competition. And did you forget the loss to KU in Allen just a year ago? Don't be so smug.

Linda Aikins 7 years, 10 months ago

No more hugs in Manhattan! Thank goodness - they were going to be a force to reckon in the next two years. WHEW!

TOB said it all.

bookemdano 7 years, 10 months ago

Heh heh... wow sucks to be them.

But aside from that--I'm happy to have that thug out of this fine state.

News_to_me 7 years, 10 months ago

Huggie, just when they were warming up to you. You can still do an Altman on them.

hawkwatch71 7 years, 10 months ago

I heard Beasley was coming to KU, would that be the icing on the cake or what!!!!

just_another_bozo_on_this_bus 7 years, 10 months ago

Things better go well in WV for huggie. If not, he'll be coaching at a junior college somewhere.

Joel Hood 7 years, 10 months ago

Can't say that I am a fan of some of the baggage that Huggins' reputation has, but if he leaves KSU it only hurts the Big 12, especially KU. KU needs tougher conference games with quality rivals. Playing 10 conference games against weak Big 12 north opponents hurts KU in too many ways.

jayhawks71 7 years, 10 months ago

countrygirl- 1. No it does not remind me of Roy. 2. I can't recall when Huggy was offered the job at WV in the past and don't really care. 3. KU needs to do well in the tournament to get credit when it comes to the POST SEASON. 4. KSU won in Allen prior to that, when exactly? And in Manhattan when again? Prior to a couple years back would you chastise Nebraska for being "smug" against KU football? They dominated, the same way KU has dominated KSU in basketball for the past 20 years.

:-)

hawkwatch71 7 years, 10 months ago

With or without Huggiebear KU will be favorite to win it all next year with all of the final four teams losing players to the NBA.

Jack Hope III 7 years, 10 months ago

I'm actually a little disappointed. With Quinn Snyder gone, Huggie was the perfect person to take the mantle of abuse from the KU fans.

I do agree with countrygirl, though. The Big 12 will continue to suck if teams like K State and Mizzou struggle all the time. I'm happy to "hate" them during the game, but I want them to improve their programs. It doesn't help KU to play a bunch of wimpy teams during the conference season. How many other Big 12 North teams made it to the dance last year? None. Where's the fun in that?

countrygirl 7 years, 10 months ago

Huggie was offered the WVU job while still at Cincy and turned it down. KSU beat KU in Allen fieldhouse during the 05-06 season, but it still wasn't enough to save Wooldridge's job.
KU needs competition to get them READY for the tournament so that when they get into the deeper rounds they don't look like they did against UCLA.
You may not like K-State, but you need them to be a stronger program and give KU some competition.

weedwacker 7 years, 10 months ago

countrygirl is correct, this does hurt the Big 12. Yes, it's great winning but we need the Big 12 to be competitive. If both the recruits go with Huggie, it will hurt KU. And hawkwatch71, Beasley was going to K-State because of Huggins, not because of the school. Bill Walker also went there for that same reason, Beasley will follow Huggins, he and Walker were recruited by him and where he goes that is where Beasley will go. He can follow him with no penalty, poor Walker, I feel sorry for him more than anyone. Beasley already said he would go to what ever school Huggins was at. Most players go where they like the coach, and when being recruited, that is a big part of why you pick a school. Why would you think that Beasley would come to KU?

hawkwatch71 7 years, 10 months ago

They should have kept Woolridge, they were improving, he is a good person and did not deserve to be fired for Thuggie .

shockchalk 7 years, 10 months ago

Countrygirl, KU went plenty deep in the tournament and they will again regardless of Bob Huggins. Don't take out your frustration on KU, they had a great season. K-State is the team that benefits from playing teams like KU, not the other way around. Don't worry, there are plenty of good coaches out there that can fill his shoes.

just_another_bozo_on_this_bus 7 years, 10 months ago

I agree on Woolridge. I thought he was a good coach, and the K-State team this year was his team, and held their own pretty well in the Big 12.

hawkwatch71 7 years, 10 months ago

I don't really think Beasley is coming to KU, I was just having some fun. I do think though if he wants to win a championship before he jumps to the NBA he should come to KU. K-state might not even release him and Walker is stuck at K-state.

Kristen Murphy 7 years, 10 months ago

Woolridge was a good coach, but he couldn't control his players. They were a bunch of jerks. They needed a coach that would actually discipline them instead of just lightly slapping them on the wrist.

Supposedly the new coach is Frank Martin who is Huggins Assistant Coach at K-State. He was the one who was always helping Huggins coach on the sidelines.

I think the reason why country girl is "taking her frustration" out on KU is, NCAA looks at the North and says "well KU is great, but they play in a weak conference". I think that KU would benefit from having to actually work during a game and not just blow everyone out. Why do you think all attention is focused on the ACC and Big East? They are actually competitive. The Big XII North basically sucks besides KU.

jayhawk1980 7 years, 10 months ago

According to Fox Sports, Huggins was passed over the last time the job was avaliable at West Virginia.

http://msn.foxsports.com/cbk/story/6648384

hawkwatch71 7 years, 10 months ago

The North will be better next year except for K-state, because of Huggins. I would expect Texas and texas A&M to drop off some because of departures.

hawkwatch71 7 years, 10 months ago

K-state is lucky Huggins didn't get a DUI or pull a Eustachy while at their university. Now he is WVU'S problem.

fletch 7 years, 10 months ago

Wow, got a whole 1 year out of that contract.

Kristen Murphy 7 years, 10 months ago

I'm just glad a contract means something in today's society! :o)

c_dubya 7 years, 10 months ago

KU enjoying this is plain silly. Notice the AWESOME tournament performance (cough) in recent years? Gee, ya think it might be due to a lack of conference competition? Play the entire season against nobodies and then get a game against UCLA. Poof there goes another final four. Get used to that feeling, it won't be ending until the Big 12 improves as a conference.

Roadkill_Rob 7 years, 10 months ago

The only part I'm enjoying about this is that a lot of KSU fans are eating their words after they celebrated Roy leaving.

c_dubya,

Your post makes it sound like the reason we lost is so obvious...that the Big 12 didn't give us competition.

I'd like to point out that the year we went to the championship game a few years back, we dominated the league like we did last year. Free throws hurt us back then and this year it was missed lay-ups.

I'm not sure how a better Big 12 would influence these factors. Success in the tournament comes down to a lot of luck and we've had some tough luck in recent years.

hawkwatch71 7 years, 10 months ago

nobodies? Texas, Texas A&M, Florida,USC, Oral Roberts, Kansas always schedules strong.

weedwacker 7 years, 10 months ago

shockchalk, obviously you don't play competitive sports. I played basketball in High School and College. My kids play competitive basketball, and yes it does help a "good" team to play good teams. If you play so, so teams all the time, you start making stupid mistakes, and then it keeps happening over and over. If we played harder teams all year round, and beat them by a lot I would say it makes for a much better rounded team. Any individual should know that, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out. That is also why 2A schools don't play 6A schools, but when they do, it sure helps out both the schools, not just the 2A school.

hawkwatch71 7 years, 10 months ago

also boston college

hawkwatch71 7 years, 10 months ago

K-state was more competitive with Woolridge.

hawkwatch71 7 years, 10 months ago

bring in Larry Eustachy

hawkwatch71 7 years, 10 months ago

Low IQ Who beat KU last and who recruited those players. Wooly did

Roadkill_Rob 7 years, 10 months ago

I'm not saying a strong conference doesn't help you. It also takes some luck and some favorable circumstances on top of everything else.

I thought the ACC was supposed to be the best conference this year and not one team made it to the Final Four.

I wanted Huggins to stay but I am getting some pleasure hearing some KSU fans cry after they enjoyed our disgust 4 years ago.

hawkwatch71 7 years, 10 months ago

K-state made a risky move hiring someone of low character showing that winning is more important than anything else there.

c_dubya 7 years, 10 months ago

I was (and still am) miserable over Roy leaving. However, KU has the clout to hire Bill Self so the conference, and the program, did not suffer much. I seriously doubt there is a long line of high quality coaches waiting for the wonderful opportunity to coach at KSU. This will be a downgrade for every school in the Big 12, not just K-State.

Luck counts for something, sure. I don't think any amount of luck would have helped Texas Tech win the whole thing this year though, do you? Don't try to discredit the fact that better competition breeds better basketball. And Texas was a one-player wonder don't kid yourself. He won't be back and Texas will not be nearly as good next year as a result.

jayhawks71 7 years, 10 months ago

Breaking News: K-State is bringing in Billy Donovan!

They are going to offer him all the prime mountain-view real estate within the Kansas borders and west of Manhattan. Two excellent milking cows will also be thrown in. If he still resists the move, they will offer him unlimited servings at the Aggieville bar of his choice.

Imagine that, Billy Donovan spurns Kentucky and bolts from Florida for the mecca that is Manhattan, KS.

(countrygirl, my question was, when before 05-06 did KSU win last in Lawrence... early 90s wasn't it????) Again, when you dominate someone, it isn't being "smug."

Leprechaunking13 7 years, 10 months ago

KU will play quality opponents every season, the fact that we are KU means that we get every teams best shot all the time. What about our early tourney departures the last couple years? Last year we were a young squad who lost to a veteran and damn good bradley team who had one of the top centers in last years draft and the year before we rode Simien and Miles all through the season ya think maybe they were worn down by the tourney? Ya I'm thinkin so. This will hurt on KSU all of the other Big12 north schools besides CU will be much improved next season you all do realize how many new coaches are in our conference right? Do you expect them to be winning programs right out of the shoot? Not all schools are KU and it still took Bill a couple years to get the program how he wanted with HIS players. OH yeah lets not forget that Simien, Miles, Lee and Langford were NOT bills players, they were ROYS.

KUandKSU_alum 7 years, 10 months ago

The thing about "domination" in a long-running series is that most fans of a consistently losing team know that the winning team is clearly better than their own. What they don't enjoy listening to are winners who aren't gracious in their victories.

Just because you win, doesn't mean that it's nice to rub that win in the loser's face. Basic sportsmanship.

Jaminrawk 7 years, 10 months ago

Look I kinda feel bad for KSU. I am stressing kinda. You know if Arkansas would have poached Self, the KSU fans would be flooding ljworld.com and never letting KU fans hear the end of it. The difference between Roy and Hugs is this metaphor:

Roy was the sweet girl you dated for years. You seemed happy. Her ex came around and flirted with her for awhile and she politley turned him down. You feel great that she showed this loyalty so you let your guard down, only to have her leave you for the same guy a few years later. You are crushed. But you move on.

Huggins is the girl who all your friends AND enemies know about. She has a reputation. She's an alcoholic. Everyone tells you that she'll break you heart but you're having fun for the first time in a years, so you're deaf to all this. Then she leaves you for her ex, now that he's not dating anyone. Your shocked and you have an STD.

KSU allowed themselves to be used. It's hilarious that they only made the buyout $100,000. The administration was completely naive.

Jace 7 years, 10 months ago

Can't say I ever really cared for his hair!

JayCat_67 7 years, 10 months ago

I was around for Larry Brown leaving KU. That felt more like this situation than Roy leaving. Larry had his reputation of jumping from job to job, but people still griped and moaned when he left. Nice that he left KU with a championship banner, but he also left them on probation. The analogy made above about the "Nice Girl" and the "Slut" is dead on when describing Roy and Huggie. In some ways, Roy was more like Frank Martin today, an unproven coach who assisted under one of the best coaches in the nation. (Character aside, Huggie did have Woolridge's players playing at a level no one would have ever expected if Woolridge was still around.) If Martin can continue this and avoid the character issues that plagued his boss, the future may not be so bleak in, dare we say... "Martyville".

JayCat_67 7 years, 10 months ago

BTW, if the passing of Roy's sister still didn't help you understand why he went home and put things into perspective, then you really don't deserve anything he did for the program here.

JayCat_67 7 years, 10 months ago

Funny you should say that Dambudzo, since Creighton's coach was the coach at K-State after Lon Kruger left. Guessing you knew that, but just in case :-)

hawkwatch71 7 years, 10 months ago

Jaminrawk awesome post!!!!!

nbnozzy 7 years, 10 months ago

I wish him well in West Virginia. He has a right to leave just as any coach does. I'm sure KSU will pick a high quality replacement.

taucetiman 7 years, 10 months ago

for the people who are laughing at KSU now, don't forget Kentucky is still looking for a top-notch coach, i am sure approaches have been made to bill self, and before you say self would never leave consider that the rumors are that a top tier coach at kentucky probably will be signing a 10 million plus contract, and kentucky's facilities are tops over even pro teams

Jaminrawk 7 years, 10 months ago

Self hasn't been on the list. Oh, and Tubby is actually one of Self's friends. Doubt he would want to go to a school that axed a guy who won a championship for them. Actually, Self was asked about the Kentucky job and is quoted as saying: "Now that isn't going to happen." According to the Arkansas AD (and Self's good friend) Frank Broyles, Self said when asked about the Arkansas job: "Why would I want to leave the best job in the country?" So yes KSU fans, hope that we will feel this pain too, but it won't happen. Go get VCU's Anthony Grant. That guy is awesome. He beat Duke, was a Donovan protege, is professional, probably doesn't drink alot, never wears turtlenecks with vests and might actually stay awhile.

taucetiman 7 years, 10 months ago

everybody's got a price

and what i was referring to, for facilities, is what the players get off court

hawkwatch71 7 years, 10 months ago

Self is not leaving give it up k-state fans. He is going to win the national championship in the next couple of years and he has the top job in the country.

taucetiman 7 years, 10 months ago

i am just saying don't be smug

coaching kansas might be the top job but self gave up on team that made it to the final game in 2005..why?

kentucky is on a hunt and the money they are offering will be a record breaker for the top tier coach that accepts

BLITZED 7 years, 10 months ago

That is what K-STATE gets for selling their soul to the devil. K-STATE fans should be happy that Huggins granted them with one year. He brought more money into the program in one year than what KSTATE would have payed him through an entire contract. He inked a deal with Nike for millions, and attendance was at an all time high, and Bob was DEEP into the boosters pocetbooks looking to update all of the facilites. KSTATE just be happy he came to your cow town in the first place

jayhawks71 7 years, 10 months ago

Billy Gillispie leaving the Big 12 to go to Kentucky. Poor A and M!

hawk52 7 years, 10 months ago

As a KU alum, and a KSU alum, I tell you I felt bad when Roy left. But I think this is different. KU was in good shape to replace Roy. Look what can happen here? all that investment in Huggie and he leaves the basketball program in virtual ashes. The ramifications are devastating given kSU's recruiting class that will likey never set foot on the court at KSU. Its late in recruitment, late to hire a coach. It could happen at any school but it is more than just being disappointed.One coach can zoom in and out and ruin a whole program. The guys might want to play for Martin but who would it take to keep them here? any ideas?

jayhawks71 7 years, 10 months ago

KU and KSU, sorry your skin is so thin. I lived through Nebraska football domination over the Jayhawks... and you know what? Ten minutes after the game was over it was on to the next game, it didn't bother me a bit to have NU fans in Memorial stadium, rubbing it in as I left.

If you can't handle the heat, get out of the kitchen.

How about this "Better luck next year!" There's your gracious winner comment.

OldEnuf2BYurDad 7 years, 10 months ago

What is WV thinking? Do they really think they want someone who handles his professional relationships with such disregard? If KSU made a mistake with Huggie, then WV is making a much bigger one.

Uhlrick_Hetfield_III 7 years, 10 months ago

Roy Williams made it clear that his decision to leave was based on the absence of Bob Fredricks and the benign neglect he got from that idiot Hemenway. If you want to be mad at anyone, take it out on Bob Hemenway, not Roy Williams.

super_jayhawk 7 years, 10 months ago

Hey Uhlrick,

Don't forget that Al "Crushed Like a Dove" Bohl also had a pretty big hand in driving away Roy in 2003, a detail that lots of people tend to forget. Sure, Hemenway screwed up by hiring the guy in the first place, but the tendency of most administrators that make hiring decisions like this is to let them run with it until it's too late. Not to mention Matt Doherty, who was so adept at messing up the UNC program until Roy felt he had no choice but to go back and try to save his alma mater. So for those of you that want to be mad at anyone, don't forget Al and Matt too. For y'all to heap all of the blame on Roy is unfair and simpleminded.