West Virginia basketball coach Bob Huggins issued an apology after using a homophobic gay slur to refer to Xavier fans and also denigrating Catholics during a radio interview.
The incident happened during a call to Cincinnati radio station WLW, when host Bill Cunningham asked Huggins, a former longtime coach at Cincinnati, was asked about the transfer portal and whether he had a chance of landing a player from Xavier, a Jesuit school and the Bearcats’ crosstown rival.
He responded; “Catholics don’t do that. I tell you what, any school that can throw rubber penises on the floor and then say they didn’t do it, by God they can get away with anything.
“It was the Crosstown Shootout, yeah. No, what it was was all those f–s, those Catholic f–s. They were envious they didn’t have one.”
West Virginia University said it does not allow the use of such language, adding that the matter is under investigation.
“Coach Huggins’ remarks today on a Cincinnati radio show were insensitive, offensive and do not represent our University values,” the university said in a statement. “Coach Huggins has since apologized. West Virginia University does not condone the use of such language and takes such actions very seriously. The situation is under review and will be addressed by the University and its athletics department.”
The Mountaineers men’s basketball Twitter account also published an apology from Huggins;
“Earlier today on a Cincinnati radio program, I was asked about the rivalry between my former employer, the University of Cincinnati, and its crosstown rival, Xavier University. During the conversation, I used a completely insensitive and abhorrent phrase that there is simply no excuse for — and I won’t try to make one here. I deeply apologize to the individuals I have offended, as well as to the Xavier University community, the University of Cincinnati, and West Virginia University.
“As I have shared with my players over my 40 years of coaching, there are consequences for our words and actions, and I will fully accept any coming my way. I am ashamed and embarrassed and heartbroken for those I have hurt. I must do better, and I will.”
Bob Huggins was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame last year. He spent 16 seasons at Cincinnati before being fired in 2005 during a power struggle with the school’s president as well as the aftermath of a 2004 drunken driving arrest. After spending one season at Kansas State, Huggins took his dream job at West Virginia, his alma mater, in 2007.
