Former University of Cincinnati basketball coach Bob Huggins will reportedly keep his coaching job with West Virginia University after using a homophobic slur twice during an interview on Cincinnati’s 700WLW radio station.
According to an ESPN report, Huggins has agreed to a $1 million salary reduction, a “significant suspension” and sensitivity training. His salary is expected to be reduced from $4.2 million to $3.2 million.
ESPN reported that Huggins is expected to sign the amended contract agreement on May 10.
The decision comes just days after Huggins, who coached UC men's basketball from 1989-2005, called Xavier University fans "Catholic f**s" while talking to 700WLW's Bill Cunningham on May 8.
"Have you poached any Xavier guys to come to West Virginia?" Cunningham asks in audio posted to Twitter.
"Catholics don't do that," Huggins responds. "I tell you what, any school that can throw rubber penises on the floor and then say they didn't do it, by God they can get away with anything."
"I think it was transgender night, wasn't it?" Cunningham says.
"It was a Crosstown Shootout, yeah no, what it was was all those f**s, those Catholic f**s, I think is what it was," Huggins responds. "They were envious they didn't have one."
Laughter from Cunningham ensues.
Social media quickly called out Huggins for using the slur and Cunningham for laughing at it, while many pointed out that the bigoted conversation was typical for Cunningham’s show.
Cunningham and 700WLW have remained silent on the issue since Monday as calls for apology and reprimand have grown on social media.
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