It's time to call Huggy Bear.
West Virginia men's basketball head coach Darian DeVries is officially leaving to become the next head coach of the Indiana Hoosiers and suddenly, there's a vacancy in Morgantown. Only one man is the right guy for the first call: Bob Huggins.
Huggins was the WVU head coach for a decade and a half and led the Mountaineers to 11 NCAA Tournament berths that included five appearances in the Sweet Sixteen and an appearance in the Final Four (2010).
Returning to WVU could be swan song for Bob Huggins
At the (older) age of 72 years old, Huggins wouldn't be looking for a lengthy tenure if he were to return to West Virginia. He already had a head coaching career that spanned more than 40 years as he jumped from Akron to Cincinnati to Kansas State and, finally, WVU.
While the Mountaineers look for a more permanent replacement in the head coaching role, Huggins could step into a role that he is more than comfortable in and familiar with.
Right now, the Mountaineers could desperately use that familiarity as West Virginia's Governor Patrick Morrisey and his Attorney General investigate the NCAA, which they have deemed the "National Corrupt Athletic Association" for leaving WVU out of the Tournament.
A HC return isn't out of the question for WVU
The Mountaineers have done this before. 17 years after he initially departed from the West Virginia football program, former head coach Rich "Rod" Rodriguez returned as WVU's head coach in 2024.
When he initially left the program, Rodriguez took over as the Michigan Wolverines head coach which only lasted for just three years. He then hopped to Arizona, Ole Miss, Hawai'i, Louisiana-Monroe, and Jacksonville State before returning to Morgantown.
One hang up on Bob Huggins' return
When Huggins parted ways with the Mountaineers following the 2022-23 season, it wasn't a pretty scene in Morgantown. So, if the former head coach were to return, some bad blood would have to be smoothed over on both sides of the aisle.
"Former West Virginia basketball coach Bob Huggins said the resignation letter released by the university after he was arrested and charged with driving under the influence last month was a 'false statement' and 'sent under my name, but no signature is included,' meaning he should still be the employed by the school," according to a report from The Athletic reported in July of that year.
No matter what, WVU needs to find someone to fill the vacancy in a large period of uncertainty for the Mountaineers, whether it's Huggy Bear or somebody else.