Call it the reconnection of Cincinnati and Bob Huggins.
The former University of Cincinnati basketball coach is scheduled to make his second public appearance here in the past month on Friday night, April 17 at Memorial Hall, where a documentary about Huggins’ coaching career will be shown publicly for the first time.
Huggins has popped up around town occasionally since his coaching career abruptly ended in the wake of a 2023 drunken-driving arrest, leading to his ouster at West Virginia. But are we going to see Huggins more regularly now that his former assistant coach, Jerrod Calhoun, has taken over the UC basketball program?
One of the prominent players from Huggins’ UC days is pushing for that. Corie Blount, who’s remained close to Huggins since their Final Four run in 1992, has even been asking Huggins to move back to Cincinnati from his long-time home in Morgantown, West Virginia.
“He said, ‘Talk to June (Huggins’ wife).’ That’s what he always tells me,” Blount said. “Miss Huggs has not really said, ‘Yeah, I will do that.’ Her family is in West Virginia, and they have a beautiful home there.”
Blount wants Huggins to have some role in the UC basketball program, officially or unofficially. The university does not have plans to bring the 72-year-old Huggins back in any consulting role or official capacity. But I’m told top university administrators are certainly open to him coming around and supporting the program. University officials welcomed Huggs back for Calhoun’s introductory press conference on March 25.
Blount said he could see Huggins rallying some of his long-time Cincinnati supporters to headline fundraising events for UC basketball.
“We’re all hoping that his aura will bring us back to what we’re used to,” Blount said. “We need it back. People respect him to where he can still do some things to help promote the program.”
Huggins has always been welcomed back by long-time UC fans. They long ago forgave him for the 2004 DUI arrest that ultimately led to his messy departure from UC after 16 seasons. None of the top university administrators involved then are still at UC.
Memorial Hall is expected to be near capacity for the release of “Beyond the Bench: The Bob Huggins Legacy,” a 1-hour, 50-minute film by Cincinnati-based 9 Ton Entertainment that chronicles his life in basketball from playing in high school for his father, Charlie, to his success and off-the-court struggles during a hall-of-fame career.
A major theme, filmmakers say, is the relationship Huggins had with his players at Walsh College, Akron, UC, Kansas State and West Virginia. Some 40 former Huggins players were interviewed on- or off-camera for the project.
Blount is a Huggs whisperer, one of the former players who’s offered guidance to his former coach, including playing a major part in convincing Huggins to participate in the documentary.
Those genuine relationships are a big reason why Bearcats fans continue to love Huggins.
“Huggs is a guy’s guy. That’s the bottom line,” said Blount, one of the many NBA player Huggins developed. “For people who respect really authentic people, he’s that. He never comes across fake. Guys from our era appreciate that. That’s what gives him the ability to be liked still. He had his group of friends here, and they still love him.
Blount added: “And he won. Nothing cures things like winning.”
And that’s really why Cincinnati still loves Huggins.
He reminds a long-suffering sports town of a consistent, big-time winner. Cincinnati hasn’t had a major team sustain high-level winning since the Huggins era. We cling to that 1992 Final Four team and that 1993 Elite Eight team and the 14 straight NCAA Tournament appearances. We clamor to see Blount, Nick Van Exel, Danny Fortson, Kenyon Martin, Steve Logan and so many other great Huggins-produced players in hopes of seeing greatness happen again someday.
It’s not unlike how Cincinnati clings to the Big Red Machine.
That’s why it’s great to see Huggins reconnect here. He is proof that we can win.
At the time, I thought Huggins’ self-destruction at West Virginia should tarnish his legacy at UC, given another successful tenure had ended in a similar way. But enough time has passed. And so many good people, including Calhoun and Blount, continue to speak of the many lives Huggins has positively impacted. That’s certainly good enough for the guy to come around some, host a few fundraisers, show up for some games and say hello to fans who still love him.
Welcome home, Huggs. You’re welcome back anytime.
Contact columnist Jason Williams at jwilliams@enquirer.com
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Williams | Welcome home, Bob Huggins. Look forward to seeing you more
Reporting by Jason Williams, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
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