MORGANTOWN —
West Virginia University athletic director Oliver Luck has approved an amended employment agreement for basketball coach Bob Huggins, extending his relationship with the university to 2023 and increasing his annual salary and incentives.
The agreement takes effect immediately and comes in the wake of a six-year contract extension given to football coach Dana Holgorsen in August.
“We are delighted to have an updated agreement in place that will continue to keep Coach Huggins at WVU for his entire career,” Luck said. “He is the third-winningest active coach in the country, and his record of accomplishment speaks for itself. His passion, caring and love for the university and the state of West Virginia is incredible. We look forward to many more years of successful Mountaineer basketball under his guidance.”
In the contract, Huggins agrees to coach the team for six more seasons, through 2017-18. At that point he will will assume a five-year Emeritus status appointment within the WVU Department of Intercollegiate Athletics.
That Emeritus status runs through June 30, 2023, during which time he will be involved in public relations and development activities in addition to other duties assigned at that time by the director of athletics. Huggins could defer his term of Emeritus status and continue to serve as head coach beyond 2018 with a mutual agreement between Huggins and the director.
Huggins, who is in his sixth season as head coach of the Mountaineers, will be paid an annualized salary of $3 million this season — $250,000 in base pay and the remainder in supplemental pay – all from revenue generated by the athletic department. A portion of that annualized salary — $500,000 (during the first year of the agreement) — is being deferred until his Emeritus status begins.
His base salary in Emeritus status will be $50,000 per year.
Huggins’ contract also calls for yearly increases in annual compensation — $100,000 in 2013-14; $150,000 in 2014-15; $75,000 in 2015-16; $250,000 in 2016-17; and $175,000 in 2017-18. The annual athletic and academic performance incentives also have increased.
Huggins, who has won 710 games in his 31st season as head coach, is the third-winningest active coach in Division I with 710 career victories. He has directed the Mountaineers to five consecutive NCAA tournaments, including the 2010 NCAA Final Four. Huggins’ teams have participated in postseason play in 27 of his 30 seasons, including 20 NCAA tournaments.
Off the court, the WVU men’s basketball team under Huggins ranked in the top 10 percent of all squads in the 2010 NCAA Division I Academic Progress Rate (APR). In addition, the Mountaineers were honored with the team excellence award for the highest conference grade-point average among men’s basketball teams.
“I feel blessed to be able to end my coaching career at my alma mater – the place that all West Virginians love,” Huggins said. “I’m very fortunate to work for an administration that shows our passion for this university and this state. It’s rare for a university to redo an existing contract to make sure that their people are taken care of and reassured to coach at that institution. Many thanks to all the people who have been so supportive of me, my family and Mountaineer basketball. I’m truly blessed.”
Huggins’ amended employment agreement can be viewed at: http://tinyurl.com/arncc36
o o o o o o
Huggins not only got a new contract but a new player on Wednesday as power forward Devin Williams of Cincinnati has signed a national letter of intent, as expected. … Williams, 6-8 and 230, plays at Monteverde (Fla.) Academy. Last year at Cincinnati’s Withrow High he averaged 15.2 points, 10.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists a game. He chose West Virginia over Ohio State, Memphis, UCLA and N.C. State. Williams joins Nathan Adrian (Morgantown HS), Elijah Macon (Columbus, Ohio/Brewster Academy) and Brandon Watkins, (Decatur, Ga./Grady HS) in the 2013-14 recruiting class.
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Huggins’ employment agreement amended
Extends relationship with WVU to ’23, hikes salary and incentives
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