The state of West Virginia has produced a large amount of coaching minds in football, but there is one standout coach on the basketball side.
Bob Huggins, who was born in Morgantown, WV ranks third in all time wins in NCAA basketball with 780 total wins. He not only represents the basketball program, he represents the state of West Virginia.
Huggins returned to his alma mater in 2007 for the first time since he spent one year there as a graduate assistant during the 1977-1978 season. Mountaineer fans finally got what they wanted, a big time coach who has West Virginia ties, and the ties run deep.
West Virginia is a blue-collar state, with no professional sports teams. Fans of West Virginia have that special connection with the athletic programs. Bob Huggins knows this, and preaches this. His players play with a purpose, they play for the state and the fans. You won’t see a bunch of star studded players on a Bob Huggins team, but you will find a group of hard working guys who work together, and compete as hard as they can.
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Fans were concerned with the departure of John Beilein who left for Michigan after leading the Mountaineers to an overall 104-60 record. The concern didn’t last long, two days after Beilein left for Michigan, Huggins was welcomed home. Huggins made an immediate impact his first season, after only nine games into the season, West Virginia sat at 8-1 and entered the AP top 25.
Huggins brings the special ability that coaches from out of state can’t do, he can speak from the heart about the state and the fans of WVU. He can make players from out-of-state believe in the program and fight hard. Huggins is a blue-collar coach and has changed the culture of the program.
West Virginia is a state of hard workers, who know what they want and will fight till the end to get it. The last year and a half, Huggins brought in “Press Virginia” which perfectly represents the state. It’s a style of play the people can relate to. It’s a gritty, ugly style of play that requires a high level of intensity for 40 minutes.
I firmly believe that everything Huggins does, is for the fans of this state. He is an over-due hall of famer who is itching for a national title. Huggins wants nothing more than to bring that title to Morgantown, where the people deserve it the most. Huggins yells, he’s hard on his players, and has an attitude about him that reflects the state. He is a West Virginian, and he does represent the state.
West Virginia will take on Baylor tonight at 8p.m. on ESPN2, as Huggins and his Mountaineers bring their West Virginia swagger back home for a crucial Big 12 matchup.
