Bob Huggins is expected to get on a plane and fly to Morgantown later today.
A news conference is slated for Friday.
Huggins met with representatives from West Virginia in Ohio in the past few
days — after John Beilein left for Michigan. He returned to Manhattan on
Wednesday night and reached the decision to leave Kansas State for West
Virginia. He then met with the president and athletic director at Kansas State
and while he was torn with the decision, he has decided to return home.
Huggins, 53, was born in Morgantown and played at West Virginia. He was also
a graduate assistant at the school.
Huggins was passed over last time the job opened — partially because West
Virginia president David Hardesty Jr., was not a Huggins supporter. Hardesty is
retiring in September and does not have much — if at all — to do with the
hiring this time around.
A new president will likely be selected in the next two weeks.
This decision wasn't about money.
Huggins was hired by Kansas State athletic director Tim Weiser a year ago and
Huggins felt some loyalty because Weiser and the administration has been good to
him — after he was fired at Cincinnati.
Kansas State finished 23-12 and made it to the NIT this past season and were
expected to be even better next year. Athletic forward Bill Walker is scheduled
to return from a torn ACL and Huggins was also set to add one of the most
talented players in the country, forward Michael Beasley, along with point guard
Jacob Pullen — a critical piece of the team because of his toughness and
ability to run a team.
It's unclear whether Beasley and Walker will try to follow him to West
Virginia. Beasley would have to be let out of his letter-of-intent while Walker
would have to sit out a year due to transfer rules.