PITTSBURGH — Former West Virginia men’s basketball coach Bob Huggins has entered a diversion program and was placed on probation after a DUI arrest in Pittsburgh two months ago.
Huggins, 69, of Morgantown, was originally scheduled to appear in court for a formal arraignment on Thursday on charges stemming from his June 16 arrest, WVNews reported. That was canceled when the coach was accepted last month into the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD) program for first-time DUI offenders.
According to WPXI-TV, Huggins must complete 12 months of ARD probation, with the option of termination after six months if all conditions are complete. His driver’s license was suspended for at least 60 days, and he will receive alcohol treatment as recommended after a Court Reporting Network assessment.
According to Allegheny County court records, Huggins entered the program for both of his charges -- DUI: Highest Rate of Alcohol (BAC .16+) and DUI: General Impairment, WBOY-TV reported. The charges were for first-time offenses.
According to The Associated Press, Huggins was assessed $2,810 in court costs and fees, including $300 for an alcohol highway safety program
Huggins was arrested on June 16 in Pittsburgh on a DUI charge. According to a news release on the Pittsburgh Police Department’s public safety site, the Hall of Fame coach was found by officers to be blocking traffic “in the middle of the road” at about 8:30 p.m. EDT Friday while driving a black SUV. The door of Huggins’ vehicle was open and had “a flat and shredded tire,” police said in the release.
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A breath test after his arrest determined that Huggins’ blood alcohol content level was 0.21%, more than twice the legal limit of 0.08% in Pennsylvania, ESPN reported, citing a police report. A blood sample also was taken from Huggins at an area hospital.
A week later, Mountaineers assistant coach Josh Eilert was promoted to interim head coach for the 2023-24 season, according to The Associated Press.
Six weeks before his arrest, Huggins used an anti-gay slur two times during an interview with a Cincinnati radio station, ESPN reported.
Huggins apologized, calling it an “insensitive and abhorrent phrase.” West Virginia suspended him for three games, reduced his salary by $1 million and amended his contract to a year-by-year agreement, according to WBOY.
In 2004, Huggins was convicted of a drunken driving charge while coaching at Cincinnati, ESPN reported. He was suspended for approximately two months after pleading no contest and was ordered to undergo rehabilitation.
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Huggins, who played for the Mountaineers while in college, had coached at his alma mater since 2007, ESPN reported. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in September 2022 after compiling an 863-389 overall career record.
Huggins led West Virginia to 11 NCAA tournaments, including a Final Four appearance in 2010. His record with the Mountaineers is 345-203, according to Sports-Reference.com.
Huggins spent one season at Kansas State (2006-2007). He led Cincinnati to 14 straight NCAA tournament appearances from 1992 to 2005 and had a 398-128 record at the school, according to Sports-Reference.com. He took the Bearcats to the Final Four in 1992.
Huggins spent his first five seasons coaching at Akron, where he compiled a 97-46 record.
He had the most wins of any active men’s Division I basketball coach, according to the Times.