West Virginia respecting the past, but looking to future with opening
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West Virginia Athletic Director Wren Baker respects the past but is looking to the future.
That’s the approach that he is taking when it comes to former head coach Bob Huggins as the administration has all but outright said will not be under consideration for the vacant head basketball coach opening.
“I think you can be respectful of the past and still focused on the future,” he said. “And where my mindset is right now, I need to be focused on the future and that’s where it is.”
Huggins, who was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2022, spent 16 seasons atop his alma mater leading the Mountaineers to a 345-203 record and 11 trips to the NCAA Tournament.
That included a trip to the 2010 Final Four and five Sweet 16 trips.
The Morgantown native resigned during the off-season after two separate off-the-court incidents but has remained a presence around the program attending games and even serving as a representative for senior Kerr Kriisa on Senior Night without any formal acknowledgement from the university.
“In terms of candidates I’d rather probably not get into any individual names, I understand why that question would come. I’d say here is where you could say my mindset is, I have great respect and admiration and appreciation for what Coach did here,” Baker said. “I’ve said that multiple times.”
But despite that, Baker's fully prepared to move on to other candidates and with that comes an opportunity for West Virginia to start anew with the basketball program.
Even this past season, interim head coach Josh Eilert had worked under the Huggins umbrella for his entire time in Morgantown and this is a chance to go outside that coaching tree moving forward.
And as part of that, Baker doesn’t necessarily believe that a coach needs to be from West Virginia although they do need to understand the values of those within the state.
“What’s important is if you’re going to have success at WVU you have to have the heart of trying to connect with West Virginia and West Virginians,” Baker said.
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