It’s a proverbial he said, she said between West Virginia University and former men’s basketball coach Bob Huggins.
In a bizarre turn of events, Huggins released a statement on Monday denying that he ever wrote a statement resigning as head coach following his DUI arrest on June 16, but the university fired back later in the day with a detailed account of his voluntary resignation.
All of this comes after an attorney representing the coach wrote to the school on Friday demanding Huggins be reinstated as head coach otherwise they would pursue legal action.
WVU responded by saying it was “frankly confused by the allegations within the letter” and reiterated that position in its letter on Monday.
“Are you asserting that Mr. Huggins never resigned?” the letter from West Virginia vice president and general counsel Stephanie Taylor read. “Is it your position that Mr. [James] Gianola, the longstanding lawyer for Mr. Huggins, engaged with the University on June 17 without the knowledge or authorization of Mr. Huggins? And then Mr. Huggins’ wife submitted his resignation without his knowledge or authorization?
“Finally, that Mr. Huggins did nothing to rectify this situation for almost three weeks? Or, are you asserting that Mr. Huggins did resign, but his notification did not meet the technical requirements under the Employment Agreement? Are you suggesting that the only way Mr. Huggins could resign would be through registered or certified mail?”
In a point-by-point rebuttal to the claims made by Huggins and his lawyer David Campbell, the university detailed its side of the events of the basketball coach’s resignation and the days after it.
The letter asserted that Gianola, Huggins’ longtime attorney, had been involved in a number of conversations with the school and Huggins leading up to the resignation.
Taylor’s letter to Campbell also noted that Gianola and the school had been in agreement about the language of Huggins’ resignation as well as the delivery method in which it would come.
“Mr. Gianola specifically asked the University if it would accept Mr. Huggins’ resignation via an email sent by his wife, June Huggins, because (1) Mr. Huggins does not use email, and (2) Mr. Gianola was having IT issues at his firm and could not access his email reliably,” the letter said.
The university also wrote that Gianola gave the final approval on the statement released under Huggins’ name and that Huggins had personally confirmed he was resigning and retiring on June 17 and June 18.
At the heart of the issue appeared to be Campbell’s assertion that the employment agreement required the coach to send notice in writing by registered or certified mail.
The University, in its letter, said that under the employment agreement written communication would be sufficient, but does not prevent other forms of communication as long as everyone agrees.
Huggins’ statement earlier in the day doubled down on the fact that he believed he did not resign and pointed to the terms of his employment agreement.
He also said that he had checked into a “world-class rehabilitation center” where he intends to stay until he’s cleared to return to coaching.
“I am employed by WVU pursuant to an Employment Agreement,” Huggins’ said in a statement. “I never submitted the notice requited under the Employment Agreement to voluntarily resign. I let WVU know that I was seeking rehabilitation. However, WVU was not willing to speak with me about the Pittsburgh event nor to provide me time to obtain counsel to review my Employment Agreement.”
He also claims he personally “did not draft or review” the statement West Virigina issues for him in regards to his believed resignation.
“The false statement was sent under my name but no signature was included,” Huggins wrote.