Logo

Bob Huggins made an off-color joke about Xavier basketball fans, who apparently once threw an inflatable penis on the court.

Huggins, 69, now the basketball coach of West Virginia, was doing an interview with Bill Cunningham on WLW in Cincinnati, when he twice used a derogatory word referring to homosexuals.

Huggins was asked if he has poached any players from Xavier from the transfer to play for West Virginia.

Warning: graphic language

“Catholics don’t do that,” Huggins said.

Cunningham said that Xavier is “above the fracas” and Huggins responded, “Absolutely. 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.”

Cunningham responded to this remark by joking that he thought it was “transgender night” when this occurred, then said it was during the Crosstown Shootout, the annual hoops game between Xavier and the University of Cincinnati, where Huggins coached from 1989-2005.

“It was the Crosstown Shootout, yeah,” Huggins said. “No, what it was was all those f–s, those Catholic f–s … They were envious they didn’t have one.”


  Bob Huggins used anti-gay slurs during a radio interview in Cincinnati. Getty Images Bob Huggins used anti-gay slurs during a radio interview in Cincinnati. Getty Images

Huggins addressed his comments and apologized shortly after.

“Earlier today on a Cincinnati radio program, I was asked about the rivalry between my former employer, the University of Cincinnati, and its crosstown rival Xavier,” he said in a statement released through the WVU Men’s basketball Twitter account. “During the conversation, I used a completely insensitive and abhorrent phrase that there is simply no excuse for — and I won’t try to make one here.

“I deeply apologize to the individuals I have offended, as well as to the Xavier University community, the University of Cincinnati and West Virginia University.

“As I have shared with my players over my 40 years of coaching, there are consequences for words and actions, and I will fully accept any coming my way. I am ashamed and embarrassed and heartbroken for those I have hurt. I must do better, and I will.”

The school said it would review and address the situation in a statement.

“Coach Huggins’ remarks today on a Cincinnati radio show were insensitive, offensive and do not represent our University values,” the school wrote. “Coach Huggins has since apologized. West Virginia University does not condone the use of such language and takes such actions very seriously.”

Comments
anonymous profile image
Powered by RoundtableBuilt on infrastructure designed for real-time media. Learn more at RTB.io.© Roundtable 2026. By using this site you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy