Bob Huggins' family said Wednesday that the 73-year-old former college coach is living with a progressive cognitive condition, a disclosure that comes just as he prepares to return to Cincinnati this weekend for his Hall of Fame induction.
The family said Huggins had kept the diagnosis private for several months before making the announcement. He is scheduled to be honored at the James P. Kelly Athletics Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the University of Cincinnati.
Huggins spent more than four decades coaching at Walsh University, Akron, Cincinnati, Kansas State and West Virginia. During that time, he became one of the most recognizable figures in college basketball and built a career that spanned multiple programs and eras.
UC Athletics said it is excited to welcome Huggins and his family back to campus and described him as one of the greatest coaches in college basketball history. The department also said he helped restore the Bearcats men's basketball program to national prominence, ignited passion for the Bearcats throughout the city and left an indelible mark on generations of student-athletes.
The university and Huggins' family both said no further interviews or additional health comment will be provided. For now, the focus shifts to this weekend's ceremony and the public recognition of a coach whose impact at Cincinnati remains part of the program's history.
