West Virginia has promoted assistant men’s basketball coach Josh Eilert to interim head coach for the 2023-24 season. announced the university Saturday.
Eilert will replace his former boss, Hall of Famer Bob Huggins, who resigned on June 17 – A day after he was arrested on suspicion of drink driving in Pittsburgh. According to the police report, Huggins, who could not name the city he was in when law enforcement approached him, had a blood alcohol level of .210. His departure left West Virginia in a downward spiral. June is an inconvenient time for a school to search for a basketball coach, let alone for a program so large that it has built a roster, in part, through the transfer portal and has legitimate prospects for the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
In light of Huggins’ resignation and due to the uncertainty of who will replace him next season, West Virginia’s roster has been plagued by turmoil in recent days. Senior point guard Joe Toussaint, junior combo guard Keir Kressa, and senior power forward Trey Mitchell — all prospective starters — went to the gate. Others were denied transfers, sources said, as WVU Athletic Director Warren Baker accelerated the hiring process.
Sources said Elert was the preferred choice for the Mountaineer players. Saturday beat two other finalists. Eilert has no coaching experience, but he is well-liked in the area. He has been a part of WVU’s men’s basketball program for 15 years, serving most of his time as a support employee, first as video coordinator, then WVU’s director of basketball operations. He was promoted to assistant position in July 2022. Eilert went with Huggins to West Virginia after Huggins hired him for his only season at Kansas State in 2006-07.
Baker, a former North Texas AD, was hired at West Virginia in November 2022. Sources said he did several Zoom interviews with candidates this week, but ultimately chose to stay home. Had an outside candidate been brought on board, some feared a complete slate purge. In the month of June, the most desirable potential job candidates are already committed to their schools for the 2023-24 academic year. Baker and WVU brass can test Eilert for a season, then open a true national search with many/more candidates available in March of next year.