Bob Huggins pulls out "WVU was not willing to speak with me" card as the drama at West Virginia takes a wild turn

The brewing standoff between Bob Huggins and West Virginia is being called 'the great Mountaineer mess' by some. With Huggins now claiming that the program falsified his retirement statement, the whole thing is about to get messier.

Whichever way you look at it, the situation isn't optimal for the Mountaineer's preparation for the upcoming season under new coach Josh Eilert.

Three weeks ago, Bob Huggins resigned as West Virginia coach, and the tributes for the Hall of Fame coach poured in. Even though he had left after being arrested for a DUI amidst a controversial homophobic slur a few weeks before, he was still given a dignified send-off.

A few days ago, Huggins upped and sent a letter to West Virginia via his attorneys claiming that he had not resigned. He demanded to be reinstated as head coach even though athletics director Wren Baker had already appointed assistant coach Josh Eilert to replace him.

Huggins has doubled down on his claims and stated that his termination wasn't handled correctly and that WVU breached the employment agreement. He claims that WVU refused to speak to him regarding the DUI incident and that they still employ him.

In addition, Huggins stated that he has checked into a world-class rehabilitation center where he hopes to stay until he is cleared to return to his coaching duties.

“I let WVU know that I was seeking rehabilitation,” Huggins wrote. “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."

The 69-year-old also accused the school of not handling the situation properly:

"Now that I have obtained counsel to review the employment agreement and have seen WVU’s comments about my current status, it is clear that WVU did not handle the situation properly."

"More importantly, the basketball program is in need and I have a strong desire to conclude my career as the head basketball coach for the program that I love,” Huggins added.

Does his claim have any basis, and can he sue the school?

One of his three lawyers, David Campbell, stated that Huggins' intention isn't to go the legal route:

"Coach Huggins does not desire litigation. Rather, he is simply looking for the correction of a clear breach of his employment agreement with WVU."

According to West Virginia's general counsel, Stephanie Taylor, the school has been in communication with Bob Huggins' longtime lawyer, Rocky Gianola. The disputed resignation letter was apparently sent from Huggins' wife's email address.

Taylor further outlines that Huggins told his staff and players that he was resigning and cleared out his office on June 18.

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Bob Huggins' controversial past

West Virginia v Maryland

Before he took the West Virginia role, Bob Huggins was the Cincinnati Bearcats head coach. He made them NCAA tournament regulars during his time there with a 399-127 record over his 16-year tenure there.

Huggins' time as Bearcats head coach ended in controversial circumstances as well. He was arrested in Ohio for driving under the influence. Nancy Zimpher, Cincinnati president, gave him the option of resigning and taking a $3 million buyout or getting reassigned outside of the athletics department.

In May of this year, Bob Huggins was again in the headlines for the wrong reasons. On a live radio broadcast, he allegedly used homophobic and anti-Catholic slurs against fans of Xavier. He barely survived getting fired, but his pay was docked and he got a three-game suspension.

Meanwhile, new head coach Josh Eilert has been left in limbo by these new revelations. It will be interesting to see which party gives in first in this messy Bob Huggins versus West Virginia saga.