West Virginia University men's basketball coach Bob Huggins apologized again Wednesday after using a homophobic slur multiple times when referring to Xavier University fans during a Cincinnati radio segment Monday.
Huggins, who coached at the University of Cincinnati from 1989-2005, said there was "no excuse" for the words he used on WLW-AM (700) and that he takes full responsibility for the controversy.
"Over the past 48 hours, I have reflected on the awful words that I shared on a radio program earlier this week," he said in a written statement on social media. "I deeply regret my actions, the hurt they unfairly caused others and the negative attention my words have brought to West Virginia University."
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Huggins also said he made a donation to Xavier University.
"I am hopeful that my personal donation to the university to support its center for faith and justice and its center for diversity and inclusion will further the work it does and the impact it has on its students," he said.
During Monday's "Stooge Report" segment with WLW host Bill Cunningham, Huggins recalled an incident in which "rubber penises" were thrown on the court during a Crosstown Shootout game between UC and Xavier. Cunningham referred to the game as "transgender night," and Huggins said: "It was all those f--s and those Catholic f--s I think threw them."
Huggins will not be fired from WVU. Instead, his salary will be reduced by $1 million, with that money directly supporting the university's LGBTQ+ Center, campus mental health Carruth Center and "other state and national organizations that support marginalized communities," WVU said.
The head men's basketball coach will also be suspended for the first three regular season games of the 2023-24 season. His employment contract was also amended from a multi-year agreement to a year-by-year agreement, which began Wednesday and ends April 30, 2024.
Huggins will also be required to meet with LGBTQ+ leaders from around the state, as well as leadership from WVU's Carruth Center.
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