Huggins On The Hot Seat, Kenyon Is Just Hot
by Bill Kintner
CINCINNATI – For most of the coaches who attended the Huggins Toast and Roast at US Bank Arena, this was one of the few times they could face off against their old friend and not leave with another loss. With a crowd pushing 7,000 people in attendance, there were many kind words and many barbs directed at former UC coach Bob Huggins by a small “Who’s Who” of college basketball coaches.
Aside from the tribute to Bob Huggins, there was a strong show of support when former Cincinnati player Kenyon Martin boldly announced, “take it down,” referring to his retired jersey that hangs at UC’s Fifth-Third Arena. “If he is not affiliated with the University, I don’t want to be.”
He also said he wants his name removed from the school record books because Huggins was removed as Cincinnati’s basketball coach during the summer by university president Nancy Zimpher.
In addition to Martin, there were over 30 former players who returned for the emotional tribute to their former coach. They included Danny Fortson, who echoed Martin when he said, “This is pretty emotional, right now. This situation shouldn’t happen. This is a great man.”
It was a festive mood as people entered the US Bank Arena on the banks of the Ohio River on a cool Cincinnati fall night. As people entered the arena, there were Cincinnati highlights playing over-head on the Jumbotron and on large monitors set up on the corners of the stage. There were fans of all ages anxious to hear the assembled talent speak and kids holding poster board signs supporting a coach that has been at the school longer than they have been alive.
A lot of fans brought items to be autographed, including pictures, basketballs, hats and just about anything that could be signed. Most of the assembled talent freely signed these items and posed for pictures. Bob Huggins, wearing a hip-looking short sleeve warm up suit, mingled freely before the event with the fans before changing into a dark suit for the program.
The stage was set up with a podium, front and center. To the left of the podium was a large Lazy Boy where Huggins relaxed during the proceedings. Behind that were chairs for the roasters and toasters. All of the former Bearcat players and support personnel that attended were seated toward the rear of the stage.
The evening began when WLW radio’s Bill Cunningham introduced each roaster with some amusing comments. They each took their seats and he brought up the first roaster of the evening, Louisville head coach Rick Pitino. And away they went.
Toward the end, an emotional Bob Huggins, at times choking back tears said, “I want to take this opportunity to say thanks. Thank you, I love you.” He spoke for another few minutes, but those words said it all.
Andy Kennedy was in an awkward position as the new coach of the Bearcats. Knowing that his current employer may not appreciate his attendance, he told the audience that “If it comes up, you didn’t see me here.” Before he went on stage, he commented on what Bob Huggins meant to him.
“He is a close personal friend,” Kennedy said. “I have been very fortunate to be a part of this program. But, more importantly, I have gotten to see a side of Bob Huggins that few get to see. And for that, I am grateful.”
Almost all the coaches mentioned that Bob Huggins is a very special coach that brought some skills to the game that you don’t see in every coach.
“He is special to our game. He is needed in our game, because everyone wants to coach someone with 1300 on the SAT. Everyone wants a Grant Hill, unfortunately not everyone can get a Grant Hill. Someone has to take care of the young man who doesn’t have the best home life,” explained Pitino. “Bob Huggins is someone who can get them over the hump in life. Many have progressed and moved on because of Bob Huggins.”
Memphis coach John Calipari agreed that Huggins is special to the game. “He stands for three things: his family, his players and winning. I will miss playing him, but he will be coaching again.”
Charlotte coach Bobby Lutz said Huggins’ Bearcats really helped put his program on the map when his team played UC tough at home. He was quick to praise what Huggins did for college basketball.
“He is one of the great coaches,” Lutz reflected. “His record speaks for itself. When he took over Cincinnati, it was not at its highest point. He turned it into a nationally recognized, respected program.”
Lutz went on to talk about the positive affect the rivalry had on Charlotte’s program.
“There is no doubt that Cincinnati helped elevate our program,” he continued. “The fans’ almost hatred of Bob – and I say that in an almost loving way – some of our fans have called me to say they miss him, they are sorry he is gone and they wish we could still play him. He gave us a stage to prove ourselves. They were the standard of excellence for the 10 years Conference USA. We had some success and it enabled us to grow our program.”
Kentucky coach Tubby Smith pointed to the crowd as evidence of how special Bob Huggins is to the game of basketball. He said he appreciated the stands he took on basketball issues and how he was a strong supporter of the community. With a twinkle in his eye, Smith said, “I want to utilize his knowledge, get him down to Kentucky. I knew he always wanted to be a part of Kentucky, now is the time for him to join us, in some form or fashioned, evaluating our team. So I am sure he will be as busy as he has ever been.”
Huggins received a lot of verbal abuse, but he also received a ton of praise from appreciative coaches, players, and fans.
Zinger Highlights
Rick Pitino
“I saw a dead horse outside and knew I was in the right place. (referring to the Art Long horse punching incident)”
Dick Vitale
“I know the (Cincinnati) president said, ‘higher education, you must be concerned about higher academics.’ Hey Bobby! I know you like higher education. Six-foot ten, 6’11,” the higher they are, the more you like them.”
John Calipari
- “We all know that Billy (Cunningham) has some issues. Mainly because when he was growing up he had to wear hand-me-downs until he was 18 years old. It is not an issue, we have all done that. But he had all sisters and that was the issue.”
- “We go back a long way, all the way to his Walsh College days. No one has ever questioned his intelligence. In fact, no one has ever mentioned it. He even told Andy (Kennedy), ‘I want them to have a thousand on their boards… a thousand or don’t recruit them. Yeah, a 500 offensive boards and a 500 defensive boards.’ Yeah he was smart. He graduated in two terms: Ford’s and Carter’s.”
- “I tell you he is mean. He is mean. He was born and he smacked that doctor.”
- “And he is cheap. Money is not everything, but he liked that three million. It’s not everything, but it is right up there with oxygen. When he got the three million, he did pledge $100,000 a year, to the wife of the Unknown Soldier.”
Bobby Lutz
- “I am just so happy to know I am not going home with a loss tonight.”
- “America is a great country, because if Nancy Zimpher can become president of the University of Cincinnati, anything is possible.”
- “People say, Bobby is two-faced. It can’t be. If you had two faces, is that the face you would show?”
- “No one can have a higher opinion of Bob than I do. And I think he is a pain in the ass.”
- “He is actually a great guy. It is just a profound secret.”
- “For the first time ever, his players made straight ‘A’s.’ The ‘B’s’ are a little crooked, but they are still trying.”
Tubby Smith
- “Things in Cincinnati are really different. Bob Huggins is no longer coaching and the Bengals are winning. The Reds are losing… well some things haven’t changed.”
- “I was in the airport the other day and somebody came up to me and said, ‘Congratulations, you are doing a great job!’ He thought I was Marvin Lewis.”
- “I look back there and see the UC strength coach. He is all-big and he looks like he is ready to break you in half or punch your horse in the mouth. In Kentucky we use horses to race, I don’t know what you use them for up here?”
- “I rode up here with a policeman. You may have seen him, Donny Mulligan? But I ride with him in the front seat most of the time.”
- “I know Cincinnati has won a couple national championships. I came here for one reason. I had Donny Mulligan bring my championship ring up with me because I wanted Bob Huggins to take a real good look, so he could see what a national championship ring looks like.”
Charlie Spoonhour
- “This proves what I have always known: there is not much to do in Cincinnati on a Thursday night.”
- “Billy is an ugly little fellow. If I ever saw a face made for radio he, is wearing it, right there.”
- “I never saw anyone ‘sit in state.’ I always thought they laid them out.”
- “My wife asked, ‘How’s Huggs’ weight?’ I said he is somewhere between weight watchers and save the whales.”
- “We went down to get our suits today. We get there and Huggs says, ‘I would like to see a suit in my size.’ George (the salesman) says, ‘So would I.’ Then when he got his suit, Huggs says, ‘I would like to accessorize it.’ George hands him a cheap bottle of wine and sends him out the door.”
Bill Cunningham
- “Calipari then went to the Nets where he had so much success that he is now coach of the Memphis Tigers.”
- “Skip Prosser was scheduled to be here, but since he wants Bob Huggins’ job, he decided it was better to not attend.”
- “Tubby showed that ring to Huggs, but maybe he should thank Rick Pitino because it was his players he won the title with.”
- “When Huggs walked back to his seat, that is the straightest line he has walked in a year and a half.”
Bob Huggins
- “Bill Cunningham called me a few years ago and said, ‘Coach, I need to get a vasectomy, can you recommend a doctor?’ I said yeah, sure. So I called a doctor over at University Hospital and said, ‘Bill Cunningham called me and would like to have a vasectomy, could you help him?’ He said, “Huggs I can help him, but with that personality, what the heck would he need one for?”
- “When you look at the guy (Cunningham), he looks like Mona Lisa with gas. You know you hate to talk about people, but Bill is so ugly he could back a dog out of a meat wagon.”
- “Tubby, I do dress bad sometimes. But I have always wanted to dress like Rick (Pitino), but I can’t find anything in the kids section to fit me.”
- “Bobby (Lutz) is involved with a lot of charity work in Charlotte. In fact, he is involved in a halfway house for women, trying to get them to go the whole way.”
- “Tubby, you know how to get a Kentucky graduate off your porch? Pay for the pizza!”
- “Have you seen Tubby’s TV commercial? He got the Wooden award for this commercial. He was voted the stiffest man on TV.”
- “Cal and I go way back. When he interviewed for the Memphis job they asked him to spell Mississippi. He said, ‘the state or the river?'”
- “John just runs Memphis. We were riding around in a limo. Memphis can be a little rough if you get off the beaten path. There was this guy walking down the street. His shoe was just flapping. The whole sole was coming off. Cal pulled the limo over, rolled the window down. If you ever have been around with Cal, he carries a big wad of money. He wraps a rubber band around it. He pulls over, rolls the window down, takes out that big wade of money, took that rubber band off and said, “here put this rubber band around your shoe.”
- “Charlie (Spoonhour) went to the doctor as he had some health problems. The doctor said, ‘We are going to have to take a blood sample, a urine sample, a semen sample and a stool sample to get to the bottom of this and find out what is wrong.’ Charlie said, ‘Can I just leave my underwear?'”
