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Jeff Borzello, ESPN Staff Writer
The potential legal battle between Bob Huggins and West Virginia continued to build on Monday, with Huggins releasing a statement saying he never submitted a resignation notice to the school and should therefore still be employed as the school’s head men’s basketball coach.
A June 17 announcement released by the school and attributed to Huggins said he was stepping down following his arrest the night before for allegedly driving under the influence. The arrest came just six weeks after Huggins used an anti-gay slur in a radio interview, which resulted in a three-game suspension and $1 million salary reduction.
However, in his statement on Monday, Huggins said the June 17 announcement was not written by him.
“I did not draft or review WVU’s statement,” Huggins wrote. “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.”
He also wrote that he did not inform his players of his decision to resign at a June 17 meeting, only that he did not know what was going to happen.
Huggins added that he voluntarily checked into a rehabilitation center and plans to remain there until he’s “cleared to return to [his] active coaching duties.”
Last week, David A. Campbell, an attorney representing Huggins, sent a letter to West Virginia saying Huggins’ resignation email came from Huggins’ wife, June Huggins. As a result, Campbell claimed, Huggins never formally resigned.
In response, West Virginia told Campbell it does not plan to reinstate Huggins.
“Moreover, if Mr. Huggins or his counsel attempts to publicly suggest that he somehow did not resign and retire from his position, please be advised that the University will swiftly and aggressively defend itself from these spurious allegations,” wrote Stephanie D. Taylor, vice president and general counsel for the university.
Campbell responded to Taylor in another letter on Monday, saying that Huggins’ employment agreement requires Huggins to send written notice of his resignation to the school’s athletic director and general counsel.
“Accordingly, based on the plain language of the Employment Agreement and clear West Virginia law, an email from Coach Huggins’ wife to Steve Uryasz, WVU’s Deputy Athletics Director, is not effective notice of resignation under the Employment Agreement,” he wrote.