After being shown the door at West Virginia, legendary college basketball coach Bob Huggins said he would like another chance to coach a big-time program. Namely, Louisville.
"I would be really excited to be there. I would want to be and do what Coach (Denny) Crum did. I've always had a love for Louisville, believe it or not,' Huggins said on the Jerry Eaves Sports Radio, via SI.com. "I love going to Louisville and playing. I love the fan base, the way they embrace the team, the way they embrace Louisville basketball."
The Cardinals have fallen on hard times recently, leading to the decision to fire Kenny Payne. But Huggins has an outstanding track record at places such as WVU, Cincinnati, and Akron, among others.
"I think it's a great place. I think it's something that fits me perfectly,' he said of Louisville. "Much like Cincinnati did when I got to Cincinnati. I mean Cincinnati was in dire straits when I got there and the city of Cincinnati fell in love with what we did, the way we played, who we played. We weren't afraid. We weren't afraid to play anybody.
"And I think the people that we brought in to Cincinnati to play were people that ended up being NBA All Stars and I think they appreciated the fact that we didn't hide from anybody. We were gonna play whoever it was. Line them up and let's go play. And I think that's the mentality that Louisville people would like to see."
That said, it appears as if Luisville will go in another direction. Still, other programs are sure to note that Huggins still wants to coach and can likely take their team places.
Question is, will anyone be willing to give him another opportunity?
Meanwhile, the Cardinals are reportedly leaning toward Richard Pitino (New Mexico) and Pat Kelsey (Charleston) for their coaching vacancy.
