Xavier University President Colleen Hanycz slammed West Virginia University men’s basketball coach Bob Huggins after he used a homophobic slur in reference to school fans during an appearance on a radio show on Monday in the morning.
Huggins called Xavier’s fans «f–s Catholics» after claiming they threw «rubber penises» onto the field during the Crosstown Shootout, a rivalry game he used to be a part of while coaching the University of California Bearcats. cincinnati.
«I’ll 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 it,» Huggins said on «The Bill Cunningham Show.»
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West Virginia head coach Bob Huggins watches play during a Big12 Tournament game against the Kansas Jayhawks on March 9, 2023, at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo. (Nick Tre. Smith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
«It was the Crosstown Shootout. It was all those f–s, those Catholic f–s. They were envious that they didn’t have one.»
Cunningham laughed and called Huggins «the best» after making the comments.
Hanycz spoke at a school event Wednesday and condemned Huggins’ comments in a prepared speech.
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«At Xavier, we are strongly committed to creating an inclusive and welcoming campus where all members of this community are valued and respected,» Hanycz said. «This is the very core of our mission and our identity as a Jesuit-Catholic university.
«The deplorable mischaracterizations and homophobic slurs directed at our LGBTQ+ and Catholic community were repulsive and offensive. To those in our Xavier family who were directly targeted and harmed by these hateful words, rest assured that you are invaluable members of our Xavier family. and that they belong here. Your presence makes us better.»
Huggins won’t lose his job as West Virginia’s basketball coach. The university detailed his punishment in a statement to Fox News Digital, saying his language «unfairly and inappropriately hurt many people and has tarnished West Virginia University.»
«It is also a moment that provides an opportunity to learn. A moment that can shine a light on the injustice and hate that often affect members of our underserved communities,» said President E. Gordon Gee and Athletic Director Wren Baker in the statement.
«While the university has never and never will approve the language used on Monday, we will use this moment to educate how the casual use of inflammatory language and implicit bias affects our culture, our community, and our health and well-being.»
West Virginia Mountaineers head coach Bob Huggins yells from the bench during the first half against the Baylor Bears at WVU Coliseum in Morgantown, W. Virginia on January 18, 2022. (Ben Queen/USA Today Sports)
Huggins’ salary will be reduced by $1 million, with the money going to the school’s LGBTQ+ center, the Carruth Center and other state and national organizations that support underserved communities.
Huggins was also suspended for the first three games of the 2023-24 season, and his multi-year contract has now become a year-to-year situation. Use of similar language could result in his immediate dismissal.
«Over the past 48 hours, I have reflected on the horrific words I shared on a radio show earlier this week,» Huggins said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital. «I am deeply sorry for my actions, the harm they unfairly caused others, and the negative attention my words have brought to West Virginia University.
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«I am also sorry for the embarrassment and disappointment this has caused our athletic family, members of our campus community, and the state of West Virginia. I am sorry for the pain and anguish I have caused our students and student-athletes. I represent more than just our university and our basketball program, and it pains me to know that I have let so many people down.
West Virginia Mountaineers head coach Bob Huggins signals a call to his team in the first half of a Big 12 Tournament quarterfinal game against the Kansas Jayhawks on March 10, 2022 at T-Mobile Arena in Kansas City, Mo. (Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
«I have no excuse for the language I used and I take full responsibility. I will follow the actions outlined by the university and sports leadership to learn from this incident. I have had several conversations with colleagues and friends that I deeply respect and admire over the past 24 hours, and I am well aware of the pain I have caused. What I wrote on Monday meant it: I will do better.
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«I look forward to working with the WVU LGBTQ+ Center and other state organizations to learn more about the issues facing the community. As a leader, I look forward to using my platform to take what I learn and share it with a broader audience.»
Fox News’ Joe Morgan contributed to this report.