UC to Huggins: Resign or be fired

Larks · #1 (**permalink**) Tue Aug 23, 2005, 12:26pm

Bob Huggins, the winningest basketball coach in University of Cincinnati history, will be fired or forced to resign within the next 24 hours. Huggins has been asked to resign, effective immediately, a source close to the situation said Tuesday morning. Bearcats associate head coach Andy Kennedy will be asked to become interim head coach.

More:

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.d...0101/307180007

ChuckElias · #2 (**permalink**) Tue Aug 23, 2005, 12:30pm

LOL, Larksy, you beat me by 2 minutes. I just heard the report on ESPN Radio.

BktBallRef · #3 (**permalink**) Tue Aug 23, 2005, 12:50pm

You had to figure this was coming.

Jurassic Referee · #4 (**permalink**) Tue Aug 23, 2005, 02:10pm

What's the talk out of Cinci, Andy? Gotta be something else going down than what's laid out in that article. It usually takes a helluva lot more than a DUI or two to get rid of a successful D1 coach-- in any major sport.

Larks · #5 (**permalink**) Tue Aug 23, 2005, 02:23pm

The new Univ President Nancy Zimpher is on a rampage....in 18 months...

Deans of the Law school (of 20 years), Med School, Business School and now Huggs all fired / not renewed.

No, a DUI wont do it....heck one of her board members has one. Huggins just aint her kind of people.

Word has it that 20 million in booster money from many well established boosters is now in question.

This is a huge local story...

Oh yeah, Huggs and his attorney found out through the media about the 24 hour offer. The 7 page letter was leaked to the media before they got it. Huggs is traveling so he is unavailable for comment.

Jurassic Referee · #6 (**permalink**) Tue Aug 23, 2005, 03:17pm

Naw, there's gotta be something else going on here. "Not being her kind of people" just doesn't make it. You're talking about someone who took a dying program and turned it back into big time basketball-- along with the big time bucks. Hell, most colleges would hire Saddam Hussain if they thought he could turn their program around(he's available- and looking for a job too). That's why guys like Lou Holtz in football and Jerry Tarkanian in basketball kept getting hired. Wins are the bottom line- nothing else really matters. Sometimes, you can even win- but not win enough. Ask the last football coach up at Notre Dame whether that's true or not. I think you can find him out at Washington now.

BktBallRef · #7 (**permalink**) Tue Aug 23, 2005, 07:59pm

She's been on his *** from day one. I don't think there's any smoking guns. She's just decided he's gotta go.

wizard · #8 (**permalink**) Wed Aug 24, 2005, 09:00am

Quote:

Originally posted by BktBallRef
She's been on his *** from day one. I don't think there's any smoking guns. She's just decided he's gotta go.

Another Cincy perspective... My guess is the timing was caused by Zimpfer trying to find out where the big money backers all stood. Some big money boosters have spoken out again her, yet a few (5/3 Bank pres., & a huge multi-auto dealership owner) are also on the board of trustees who I believe voted unanimously in her favor.

She has a vision for the future of the university, which is good. But UC will never be Stanford, never be an Ivy League school. It will interesting (in the years to come) to see if other university presidents try to take back the control of their universities. Or if they leave Nancy hanging at the bottom of the Big East.

I believe that she pulled the trigger because she didn't want to see Huggs succeed in the Big East. he's the type of person who when he is told he cannot succeed will circle the wagons and win big so he can shove it in your face.