Former Cincinnati Bearcats, West Virginia coach Bob Huggins wanted Louisville job

With the West Virginia Mountaineers basketball vacancy filled by the recent hiring of Darian DeVries from Drake, former WVU coach Bob Huggins briefly threw his hat in the ring for the Louisville Cardinals job. Huggins did so publicly Wednesday morning on a WDRB radio program in Louisville done by former Cardinal player and coach Jerry Eaves, a Louisville native.

To be fair, Eaves and Huggins know one another from his days on Denny Crum's staff. Though Eaves explained the issues at Louisville, he also openly politicked for Huggins.

By Wednesday evening, it was all a moot point as Louisville hired Pat Kelsey from College of Charleston. However, Huggins may have generated some interest with the interview. He has maintained that he'd like to continue his coaching career.

Huggins stated his case

After his second DUI in Pittsburgh in 2023 (the first was in Cincinnati in 2004) Huggins told Eaves he went to rehab immediately.

"I decided to change my life," Huggins said. "I've had no alcohol for over 300 days. I'm on the right path."

Huggins made no mention of the homophobic slur he made on 700WLW's Bill Cunningham show describing Xavier fans but has since apologized for those remarks.

He can raise funds

Huggins mentioned when coming to West Virginia, the players had difficulty using the gym. He then orchestrated the building of a state-of-the-art practice facility that he says opposing coaches like Rick Pitino and Baylor's Scott Drew marveled over during visits.

Louisville has issues

Eaves inspiration for the interview was talking with friend Dereck Whittenburg who played on Jim Valvano's NCAA championship North Carolina State team. Both agreed that Huggins should help.

"We let the mob lead the group," Eaves said to Huggins about Louisville's downfall.

2024 Louisville looks familiar to Huggins

Huggins mentioned he had the same institutional issues at Cincinnati when he took over for Tony Yates in 1989. After two NITs, the Bearcats were in the Final Four in 1992 and made the Elite Eight in 1993 before losing to eventual champion North Carolina.

"To revive that program, I've been blessed," Huggins said. "I've been around Oscar (Robertson). Oscar was in practice virtually every day. At West Virginia, I was around Jerry West, Rod Thorn and Rod Hundley. It was the same at Cincinnati, West Virginia and Kansas State. I've lived that. UC we fixed. There's absolutely no reason I can't come into Louisville and make it what it was before."

Return to Denny Crum days

The 70-year-old Huggins said Denny Crum was the coach who would come over and put his arm around him before a game and would converse with him often at conferences and tournaments.

Eaves mentioned the city of Louisville needs a return to those days.

“I'm really excited,” Huggins said. “I would be really excited to be there. I'd want to be and do what Coach Crum did. I think it fits me perfectly."

Huggins would take on anyone

Much like Crum often played a treacherous non-conference schedule before hitting league play, Huggins told Eaves he would do the same as he did in Cincinnati.

"We didn't hide from everybody," Huggins said. "Line'em up and we'll go play. That's the mentality Louisville would like to see."

In his favor are 935 wins, a spot in the Naismith Hall of Fame and Final Fours at Cincinnati and West Virginia, teams he said were in "dire straits" when he arrived. Eaves mentioned the Cardinals needed "butts in seats" and before a commercial break, Huggins gave him a pleasing response.

"I put butts in seats for Louisville when I was in Cincinnati," he said.

First order of business?

Huggins said he would sit down with players as he did at UC, West Virginia and Kansas State and asked them what needed to be fixed. He said people don't realize it, but he's a player's coach.

"Guys come to my house almost daily to talk," Huggins said.

Who else did Louisville seek?

The Louisville search recently involved Florida Atlantic's Dusty May according to reports with May eventually going to Michigan. Veteran Louisville journalist Rick Bozich, now with WDRB, confirmed such in a Thursday article. Bozich even joined the radio program to question Huggins.

Recently, Indiana State's Josh Schertz entered the picture. His Sycamores just defeated the Cincinnati Bearcats in the NIT quarterfinals. Schertz was also being courted by Saint Louis. The search was riddled with Cincinnati/Huggins ties with Elder and Xavier product Pat Kelsey of Charleston eventually winning the race.

Also in the mix Richard Pitino of New Mexico, son of the coach who departed "The 'Ville" and went on to coach at Iona and St. John's. Many in the area, wondered why another departed coach, Chris Mack, was released from his duties in the first place. Mack is also on the open market.

Others who might have been interested if not for a monstrous buyout were former Huggins and Pitino assistant Mick Cronin who has taken UCLA to a Final Four. Other reports mentioned contact with Seton Hall's Shaheen Holoway and USF's Amir Abdul-Rahim.

In the end, it's Kelsey at Louisville after going 75-27 in three seasons at Charleston and 186-95 at Winthrop. He was director of basketball operations for Skip Prosser at Wake Forest, then associated head coach under Chris Mack at Xavier briefly before going to Winthrop. The Louisville Courier Journal and USA Today's Steve Berkowitz reported his Charleston salary to be $1.1 million with this buyout being the same.

How long could Huggins coach?

Bozich asked Huggins, who will be 71 by the time the next season starts, about how many years he would stick around. He suggested 10 to 15 years.

"I'm in really good shape," Huggins said. "I want to go to work and be part of the family."

Where that family is remains to be seen.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Bob Huggins wanted Louisville Cardinals NCAA basketball coaching job