West Virginia basketball coach Bob Huggins apologized Monday after using a homophobic slur to refer to Xavier fans while denigrating Catholics during a radio interview.
The West Virginia athletic department called Huggins’ comments “offensive” and said it was reviewing the matter.
During a call with Cincinnati radio station WLW, Huggins, a former longtime Cincinnati coach, was asked about the transfer portal and if he had a chance to take down a player from Xavier, a Jesuit school and Bearcats crosstown rival.
“Catholics don’t do that,” Huggins said. “I tell you what, any school can throw rubber rods on the floor and then say they didn’t, and God can get away with anything.
“It was a crosstown shootout. What it was, it was all those (expletive), those Catholics (expletive), I guess.”
Later on Monday, Huggins issued a statement saying he “used a completely insensitive and hateful statement that there simply is no excuse for it – and I’m not going to attempt to make it here. I deeply apologize to the individuals I offended, as well as to the community of Xavier University, the University of Cincinnati and West Virginia University.”
“As I have shared with my players over 40 years of coaching, there are consequences to our words and actions, and I will fully accept anything that comes my way. I am ashamed, ashamed, and sad for those I have hurt. I have to do better, and I will.”
In a separate statement, West Virginia’s athletic department said Huggins’ remarks “were insensitive, offensive, and do not represent the values of our university. Coach Huggins has since apologized. WV does not condone the use of such language and takes such actions seriously.” The situation is under review and will be addressed by the university and its athletics department.”
Huggins spent 16 seasons in Cincinnati before he was fired in 2005 in a power struggle with the school president as well as in the aftermath of his 2004 drunk driving arrest. After spending one season at Kansas State, Huggins took his dream job at West Virginia, his alma mater, in 2007.
Huggins was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame last year.
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