Impressions of Huggins' Post-Game Comments

#1
cardvolfan

cardvolfan

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 13, 2007
Messages
10,405
Likes
21,639
#1
I have always found Bob Huggins to be a very interesting person and coach, and obviously very successful. Yesterday, I found his statement that "my team has made a liar of me" about their defense to be an intriguing statement. I just wonder what everyone's impression is of him nowadays. Has he mellowed? Do you find him to be a "great coach?" Barnes loves him to death, but has been friends with him forever.
 
  • Like
Reactions: The Artful Dodger
#2
#2
He got bit by the injury bug. Good coaches like him challenge their guys when they have injuries to, at a minimum, play defense because it is about effort and execution.

Also, It’s easier to play Press Virginia defense when most of the time you have to shut down 2-3 legitimate scorers. Tennessee has 6..GW, KA, Bone, Bowden, Turner, Schofield

Last night they shut down 2 of the 6
 
  • Like
Reactions: Stoked and DC_Vol
#6
#6
cardvolfan said:
I have always found Bob Huggins to be a very interesting person and coach, and obviously very successful. Yesterday, I found his statement that "my team has made a liar of me" about their defense to be an intriguing statement. I just wonder what everyone's impression is of him nowadays. Has he mellowed? Do you find him to be a "great coach?" Barnes loves him to death, but has been friends with him forever.
Click to expand...
He is still great coach, I see nothing wrong with calling out players or team not playing up to potential or coaches expections. His teams typically play tough hard nose press
defense, that is probably why CRB started LT @ guard. I am thankful Vols have CRB coaching in Knoxville, that said Bob Huggins team will probably be in Tourney. GO VOLS.....
 
  • Like
Reactions: OneVolNation, sport3500, feathersax and 1 other person
#7
#7
TennesseeFan07 said:
His health has been poor. His team has been hurt. His current players don't listen to him. I love Huggy to death.
Click to expand...

I agree with all but "loving him to death".
It was pointed out by the announcers about the distance his team must travel just to play conference games. (dumb, stupid, there are not enough belittling words to describe this conference alignment - - - our Missouri) The cost of all this traveling must weigh heavy on his mind too. He may feel the writing on the wall. (rightly or wrongly) Their football program can't support the whole athletic department having to travel every away game like a pro team does. I wonder if the department comes to paying their own way. Must be really down hearten for him.
 
#9
#9
Ill leave this here for you guys to judge lol... I was marshalling a Jimmy V charity golf tournament responsible for "escort security" around the green keeping folks back behind the ropes, quiet, getting guys from carts to the green, etc... Huggins was playing with Mike Tirico and some other athlete and they were on their 2 nd hole at 9ish in the AM. Huggins (then the Cinncy coach) comes up towards the green from the cart and as I lift the rope and go up towards the green a lady hollers from the $1M home behind the green at Huggins. I don't even remember what she said but it was something like "We're Bearcats and We love you". This house is probably a good 50 yrds behind the green and she was LOUD. He starts laughing and seeing they are setting up a Keg, snacks and tables on their deck for a days festivities he ducks under the back green ropes thru the spectators and jogs over to the deck. I am torn at this point about what to do so I follow Huggins and leave Tirico and his lady friend on the green.

He proceeds to ask if they have tapped the keg and they pour him a beer and start taking pictures ( had to go inside for a camera). Meanwhile TIrico is waiting and the group behind them is waiting to hit to the green. Tirico and the other guy go ahead and putt out and wait in the cart for Huggins (with his picked up ball). He spends about 10 minutes up there and they eventually send him away with a travel coffee cup of beer and a plate of food. I was impressed with the fact he spent some time with fans, disappointed in the lack of decorum making all the others wait for him, and well chugging two beers and a roadie at 915AM man u got a problem. Might explain why he has put on a bit of weight but I was thinking about this yesterday watching the game...
 
  • Like
Reactions: PEPPERJAX, Stoked, savannahfan and 13 others
#10
#10
An experienced, outstanding coach like Huggy knows his players, knows what motivates them, and knows what gets under their skin. He also knows that what he says will get repeated over the next few days by their friends as questions: "So what did coach mean about...?"

But he's also a competitive human being.

So expect that some of his remarks were "smart munitions" targeting the minds of individual players. Maybe some lines were being "sent" to the league officials' office. And gotta figure some were just personal venting (per savannahfan).
 
  • Like
Reactions: wlkx, feathersax, cardvolfan and 2 others
#11
#11
Huggins' teams have always played great defense. This year's team has been inconsistent on D and has lead to most of their troubles. Typically his team improve as the season goes on. Will be interesting to see if this team is peaking at tournament time.

Peaking is always a tough call. CRB has such an experienced, deep team it will be interesting to see how they are playing in March. If they can continue to win without the spikes in emotion, they should be ready to fire on all cylinders in March.
 
#12
#12
savannahfan said:
I agree with all but "loving him to death".
It was pointed out by the announcers about the distance his team must travel just to play conference games. (dumb, stupid, there are not enough belittling words to describe this conference alignment - - - our Missouri) The cost of all this traveling must weigh heavy on his mind too. He may feel the writing on the wall. (rightly or wrongly) Their football program can't support the whole athletic department having to travel every away game like a pro team does. I wonder if the department comes to paying their own way. Must be really down hearten for him.
Click to expand...
I wish the SEC and Big12 would swap Mizzou for WVU. It would make a lot of sense.
 
  • Like
Reactions: PEPPERJAX, aWhiteLoftonChism, Big Orange#1 and 6 others
#13
#13
bag12day said:
Ill leave this here for you guys to judge lol... I was marshalling a Jimmy V charity golf tournament responsible for "escort security" around the green keeping folks back behind the ropes, quiet, getting guys from carts to the green, etc... Huggins was playing with Mike Tirico and some other athlete and they were on their 2 nd hole at 9ish in the AM. Huggins (then the Cinncy coach) comes up towards the green from the cart and as I lift the rope and go up towards the green a lady hollers from the $1M home behind the green at Huggins. I don't even remember what she said but it was something like "We're Bearcats and We love you". This house is probably a good 50 yrds behind the green and she was LOUD. He starts laughing and seeing they are setting up a Keg, snacks and tables on their deck for a days festivities he ducks under the back green ropes thru the spectators and jogs over to the deck. I am torn at this point about what to do so I follow Huggins and leave Tirico and his lady friend on the green.

He proceeds to ask if they have tapped the keg and they pour him a beer and start taking pictures ( had to go inside for a camera). Meanwhile TIrico is waiting and the group behind them is waiting to hit to the green. Tirico and the other guy go ahead and putt out and wait in the cart for Huggins (with his picked up ball). He spends about 10 minutes up there and they eventually send him away with a travel coffee cup of beer and a plate of food. I was impressed with the fact he spent some time with fans, disappointed in the lack of decorum making all the others wait for him, and well chugging two beers and a roadie at 915AM man u got a problem. Might explain why he has put on a bit of weight but I was thinking about this yesterday watching the game...
Click to expand...

And THAT 9:30 am habit is what cost Huggins his job at Cincy. He is a great coach; but man---LOSE THE 50lb Gut! Along with the other 100. That's why he has Hip/knee replacements. Overloaded suspension.
 
  • Like
Reactions: lynnh
#14
#14
bag12day said:
Ill leave this here for you guys to judge lol... I was marshalling a Jimmy V charity golf tournament responsible for "escort security" around the green keeping folks back behind the ropes, quiet, getting guys from carts to the green, etc... Huggins was playing with Mike Tirico and some other athlete and they were on their 2 nd hole at 9ish in the AM. Huggins (then the Cinncy coach) comes up towards the green from the cart and as I lift the rope and go up towards the green a lady hollers from the $1M home behind the green at Huggins. I don't even remember what she said but it was something like "We're Bearcats and We love you". This house is probably a good 50 yrds behind the green and she was LOUD. He starts laughing and seeing they are setting up a Keg, snacks and tables on their deck for a days festivities he ducks under the back green ropes thru the spectators and jogs over to the deck. I am torn at this point about what to do so I follow Huggins and leave Tirico and his lady friend on the green.

He proceeds to ask if they have tapped the keg and they pour him a beer and start taking pictures ( had to go inside for a camera). Meanwhile TIrico is waiting and the group behind them is waiting to hit to the green. Tirico and the other guy go ahead and putt out and wait in the cart for Huggins (with his picked up ball). He spends about 10 minutes up there and they eventually send him away with a travel coffee cup of beer and a plate of food. I was impressed with the fact he spent some time with fans, disappointed in the lack of decorum making all the others wait for him, and well chugging two beers and a roadie at 915AM man u got a problem. Might explain why he has put on a bit of weight but I was thinking about this yesterday watching the game...
Click to expand...
Cool experience!
 
  • Like
Reactions: bag12day and djohnnyg
#17
#17
I always rooted for Huggins since he left Cincy. Unless they play the Vols. But that belly of his....of course he's gonna be in bad health. He's getting too heavy. I hope he loses that weight. No offense to him.
 
#18
#18
lynnh said:
He is still great coach, I see nothing wrong with calling out players or team not playing up to potential or coaches expections. His teams typically play tough hard nose press
defense, that is probably why CRB started LT @ guard. I am thankful Vols have CRB coaching in Knoxville, that said Bob Huggins team will probably be in Tourney. GO VOLS.....
Click to expand...
No way WV makes the tournament.
 
#20
#20
TennesseeFan07 said:
His health has been poor. His team has been hurt. His current players don't listen to him. I love Huggy to death.
Click to expand...

Guy has millions of dollars. Should take two years off, hire a world class trainer, dietician and get the best medical care he can find. If he can get his body right his mind will sharpen and he will be back coaching a top program soon, and live a better, longer life. Whatever income he loses in those two years off, he will more than makeup by being in better health and extending his coaching career.
 
  • Like
Reactions: wlkx and lynnh
#21
#21
djohnnyg said:
I always rooted for Huggins since he left Cincy. Unless they play the Vols. But that belly of his....of course he's gonna be in bad health. He's getting too heavy. I hope he loses that weight. No offense to him.
Click to expand...

Do you remember why he left Cincy? They were always good. Can't remember why he left
 
#22
#22
djohnnyg said:
I always rooted for Huggins since he left Cincy. Unless they play the Vols. But that belly of his....of course he's gonna be in bad health. He's getting too heavy. I hope he loses that weight. No offense to him.
Click to expand...
I have always liked Huggy and enjoy watching his team play they are physical hardnosed BB team he demands that, theres got b reason he uses stool during game probably
cant get up from chair. I hope he takes care of his health.
 
#23
#23
I really don't know much about other coaches. I generally just don't pay attention to any team outside of UT. I did watch his post-game and he definitely seemed down. He kept talking about,"How do you hit someone in the foot?" Saying he doesn't understand that. His comments just reminded me of a disgruntled fan than a ball coach, but that's just me. I'm sure he's a decent guy, but I thought his attitude was poor there.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Montana Merkin
#24
#24
vols 30 said:
Do you remember why he left Cincy? They were always good. Can't remember why he left
Click to expand...
Coach Huggins got a DUI. He was on thin ice with a new president. She did not like the language that he used court side. He was not quite blue blood enough for her. She used the DUI as a reason to fire him. I might have a few of the details off but this happened about 12 years or so ago. I think that Andy Kennedy coached the team as the interium coach for one season with Coach Huggins blessing. He refused to take the job permanently when it was offered to him. I lived in Cincy for a job and UC basketball was the only thing that kept me going sports-wise. Xavier with Coach Prosser was also good (not Coach Gillen, he was a douche). Coach Huggins is good people. He calls them like he sees them. He is a hard-nosed old-fashioned coach without the demeaning aspect that ate up Bobby Knight. Coach Huggins took kids who needed some guidance. He had Frank Martin as his assistant for awhile at UC and Coach Martin followed Coach Huggins to K-State eventually getting that job when Coach Huggins took the WVU job. Bet those practices were a blast.

Coach Huggins is obviously short on guards right now. They have had some injuries. They will be fine. His teams play (as others had said) hard nose defense. They seem to have always had problems shooting free throws. I think that Coach H was beating the point home about the terrible pass as just an example that if you do not do the simple basics.....you are not going to have success, especially against a good team which he complimented Tennessee on being. He knows that he pretty much showed up to a gunfight with a knife. He actually was a very good high school player in Ohio. And he was a solid 5th, 6th man type when he played at WVU. He did the hard stuff that nobody else wanted to do.

He almost died in the airport in WVU after suffering a heart attack about 12 years ago. The only thing that saved him was the fact that there was a defibrilator (spelling wrong I am sure) right in the airport. The placement of the machine had been a fairly recent addition just before his heart attack. Coach Huggins is a bit of a scoundrel with the press but he is a decent man and a very good basketball coach. He was always involved with various charities when at UC. He had a huge rivalry with Memphis and Calcheat so that tells you all you need to know about him.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: iVolSoHard, sport3500, wlkx and 2 others
#25
#25
vols 30 said:
Do you remember why he left Cincy? They were always good. Can't remember why he left
Click to expand...

He and the new President (some female) had major problems. Some were Huggins own doing like a DUI, poor graduation percentages by his players. She won the showdown and he went to KState.
 
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.
Advertisement



Back
Top