Hall of Fame basketball coach Bob Huggins is reportedly dealing with a life-altering condition that his family has decided to announce before he is honored by the University of Cincinnati this weekend.
In a statement, Huggins’ family announced that he has been living with a “progressive cognitive condition” that has begun affecting his memory and daily life. The family said that it feels now is a good time to make this announcement since he is slated to appear at the University of Cincinnati this Friday to be inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame.
“Bob is living with a progressive cognitive condition that has begun to affect his memory, and aspects of his daily life. While the family has chosen to keep this matter private over the past several months, they believe this is an appropriate time to share the news with the many people who have supported Bob throughout his remarkable career, particularly as he prepares to be honored with induction into the University of Cincinnati’s James P. Kelly Athletics Hall of Fame,” the statement reads, via Emily Sanderson of WLWT.
Bob Huggins’ family has released a statement.
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— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) October 21, 2026
Bob Huggins’ Legendary Career
Born in West Virginia, Huggins played college basketball for the West Virginia Mountaineers and got his first coaching job as an assistant for the team in 1977. From there, he began a coaching career where he would hold top jobs for the better part of 45 years.
His first head coaching job came in 1980 at Walsh in the NAIA. He quickly turned the team into a powerhouse, going from 14 wins in his first year to 23 wins and conference title honors in his second year, to 34-1 and conference title honors again the following year.
After leaving Walsh to spend one year as an assistant at UCF, he became head coach at Akron in 1984. During his five years with the Zips he went 97-46 and led the team to their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance in 1986.
In 1989, Huggins moved to Cincinnati, where he turned the Bearcats into a national powerhouse. Between 1992 and 2005, Huggins’ Bearcats reached the NCAA Tournament 14 times and winning eight conference tournaments and 10 regular season titles. In 1992, he took the Bearcats all the way to the Final Four for their first time in three decades
Huggins spent one year at Kansas State from 2006-07 before becoming West Virginia’s coach in 2007, where he replicated some of his magic from his Cincinnati days.
In 2010, in Huggins’ third season with the team, he led the Mountaineers to the Final Four for the first time since 1959 after winning the conference tournament title for their first time since 1984.
Huggins’ tenure at West Virginia ended under controversial circumstances in 2023, but only after he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame the year prior.
Huggins’ career as a head coach ended with a career record of 935 wins and 414 losses. He ranks No. 8 on college basketball’s all-time wins list. 11 of his former assistants and players went on to become head coaches in the NBA or other colleges.
This story was originally published by The Spun on Oct 21, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Basketball section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.