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West Virginia Suspends Bob Huggins and Cuts His Pay Over Homophobic Slur

Huggins, 69, issued an apology as part of the university’s statement, saying he deeply regretted his comments and the hurt they had caused.

“I have no excuse for the language I used, and I take full responsibility,” he said in Wednesday’s statement. “I will abide with the actions outlined by the University and Athletics leadership to learn from this incident. I have had several conversations with colleagues and friends that I deeply respect and admire over the last 24 hours, and I am keenly aware of the pain that I have caused.”

Aside from the pay cut, Huggins will make a personal donation to Xavier to support its Center for Faith and Justice and its Center for Diversity and Inclusion, though the amount of the donation was not specified. He will also be required to meet with L.G.B.T.Q. leaders from across the state of West Virginia.

In August 2021, Huggins signed a contract extension through the 2023-24 season that made him one of the highest-paid coaches in college basketball. According to his previous contract, Huggins would have had options to coach “or extend his relationship” with the university through June 2027. In Wednesday’s announcement, the university said Huggins’s current contract would be amended to a year-by-year agreement that would end on April 30, 2024.

The university’s statement said the $1 million trimmed from Huggins’s salary would be used to support its L.G.B.T.Q. center, its mental health counseling center and other organizations.

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