Shortly after the audio was posted online Monday, West Virginia coach Bob Huggins’ career was suddenly up in the air because he used a homophobic absurdity on live radio in a shockingly casual manner, which the Naismith Memorial Hall of Famer tweeted in November 2020 began circulating.
It was a tweet about Thom Brenman.
Brennaman was, in 2020, the television play-by-play voice for the Cincinnati Reds and lead announcer on NFL games for Fox. He was an accomplished man. But in August 2020, while playing a game between the Reds and Royals, Brennaman was caught on a heated microphone calling San Francisco “one of the world’s capitals of the world,” using a homophobic slur.
Very quickly, those jobs were lost. Then, just three months later, Huggins asked Brennaman to speak to his team.
Here’s what Huggins tweeted later:
Incredible, right?
What this tweet makes clear is that if anyone should have a correct understanding of what saying that word in public can do to a career, it should have been the man whose friend lost his career after accidentally saying that word on air. But there was Bob Huggins, live on the radio on Mondays, twice Say that word on the air — no By mistake but in fact very intentionally – while referring to Xavier’s fans as “Catholics”.
Huggins An apology was issued After creating the audio titles.
“On a radio show in Cincinnati, I was asked about the rivalry between my former employer, the University of Cincinnati, and its crosstown rival, Xavier University,” Huggins tweeted. “During the conversation, I used a completely hateful and insensitive phrase that there simply is no excuse for it — and I’m not going to attempt to make one here. I deeply apologize to the individuals I offended, as well as to Xavier Community University, the University of Cincinnati, and West Virginia University. I have also 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 feel shame, embarrassment, and heartbreak for those I’ve hurt. I have to do better, and I will.”
I still have questions.
Huggins has been speaking in public for nearly four decades and he should know that it is not okay to use that word, if only because his friend lost his career using that word less than three years ago – so why on earth would he use that word twice on live radio? (It was clearly not a slip because, again, he said it not once but twice.) Was he drinking? Did he not know he was on the air? What exactly led to Huggins saying that word twice on the radio?
Unfortunately, we may never get a full explanation because any explanation might be interpreted by some as an alibi, and Huggins said he wasn’t interested in making any excuses. So done, apology issued, now we’ll all wait to see how West Virginia University officials, who have already said the situation is “under review,” respond.
Will Huggins be suspended?
finished?
Or will his status as a legend in the sport of college basketball, and an icon in the state of West Virginia, allow him to continue his highly decorated, but also controversial, coaching career that dates back to the 1980’s and boasts more Division 1 wins than any other coach in history besides his name? Mike Krzyzewski or Jim Boeheim built up. I’m going to stop speculating – but, yeah, it’s perfectly reasonable to assume that this may really be the case, that Bob Huggins may soon join the list of high-profile coaches who’ve lost their jobs for not losing too many games, but for doing or saying something off the court that you couldn’t. or saying it.