Huggins Named to Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame
Apr 02, 2022 | Men's Basketball
Huggins is the sixth individual with K-State ties to be elected to the Hall of Fame
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Former Kansas State men's basketball coach Bob Huggins was officially announced as one of 13 individuals in the Class of 2022 of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Although Huggins spent just one season (2006-07) as the Wildcats' head coach, he helped resuscitate a program that had not enjoyed a 20-win season or postseason appearance in eight years upon his arrival. He guided K-State to a 23-12 overall record, including a 10-6 mark in Big 12 play, and to the second round of the NIT. The 23 wins in 2006-07 were the most in a single season since the 1987-88 team had a then school-record 25 victories.
Currently sitting with 916 career victories in his 40-year head coaching career, Huggins is one of only six Division I coaches all-time with 900 or more career victories, which includes stints at Walsh College (1980-83), Akron (1984-89), Cincinnati (1989-2005), K-State and West Virginia (2007-present).
Huggins is one of 13 members of the Class of 2022, including NBA stars Manu Ginobili and Tim Hardaway, WNBA icons Swin Cash and Lindsay Whalen, former longtime NBA head coach George Karl, standout college and WNBA head coach Marianne Stanley and longtime NBA official Hugh Evans.
In addition, five others were honored for induction from distinguished committees, including Lou Hudson (Veterans Committee), Larry Costello and Del Harris (Contributor Committee), Theresa Shank-Grentz (Women's Veterans Committee) and Radivoj Korac (International Committee).
The Class of 2022 will be enshrined in the Naismith Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts on Saturday, September 10 at the newly-renovated Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame and MassMutual Center.
Huggins is the sixth individual with K-State ties to be elected to the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame, following head coaches Jack Gardner (1984), Fred "Tex" Winter (2011) and Cotton "Lowell" Fitzsimmons (2021) and All-Americans Bob Boozer (2010) and Mitch Richmond (2014). Boozer was elected as a contributor on one of the greatest Olympic teams (1960) of all-time.
Hired as the 22nd head coach on March 23, 2006, Huggins gave K-State instant credibility arriving as one of the most successful coaches in the country with over 500 career wins and 15 trips to the NCAA Tournament to his credit, including the 1992 Final Four. In his lone season, he helped the Wildcats to their first 20-win season and first postseason appearance in eight seasons in 2006-07.
In addition to his 23 wins, Huggins also helped the program to one of its best ever in the Big 12 era, as K-State earned its first bye at the Big 12 Championship with a fourth-place finish and a 10-6 record. In the process, the Wildcats snapped nationally-ranked Texas its only home loss, snapping a 22-game home court winning streak, swept the series from rivals Missouri (just second time since 1982), Iowa State and Colorado. The team's win over Vermont in the first round of the NIT was the first postseason victory since 1994.
Huggins helped set the stage for a revival of the Wildcat program, as his 23-win season and NIT appearance in 2006-07 started a streak of eight consecutive 20-win seasons and eight consecutive postseason appearances (six NCAA Tournaments, two NITs), which are both the longest such stretches in school history.
Huggins left K-State in 2007 to become head coach at his alma mater West Virginia. He has led the Mountaineers to 326 wins and 10 NCAA Tournament appearances in 15 seasons, including a trip to the 2010 Final Four. He became the sixth coach in NCAA Division I history to win 900 games when WVU defeated Morehead State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on March 20, 2021.
Huggins will enter the 2022-23 season behind only Syracuse's Jim Boeheim on the list of active winningest coach in Division I with a 916-399 (.697) overall record in 40 seasons. His 916 wins are the seventh-most by a head coach regardless of level in men's college basketball history.
Enshrinement festivities will begin on Friday, September 9 at the Mohegan Sun with the Enshrinement Tip-Off Celebration and Awards Gala. The Class of 2022 will then journey to the Springfield, Massachusetts for the annual celebratory events taking place at the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame on Saturday, September 10.
Tickets for the 2022 Enshrinement Ceremony and all Enshrinement events are on sale now and available online at www.hoophall.com or by calling the Basketball Hall of Fame at (413) 231.5513.
How to follow the 'Cats: For complete information on K-State men's basketball, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Although Huggins spent just one season (2006-07) as the Wildcats' head coach, he helped resuscitate a program that had not enjoyed a 20-win season or postseason appearance in eight years upon his arrival. He guided K-State to a 23-12 overall record, including a 10-6 mark in Big 12 play, and to the second round of the NIT. The 23 wins in 2006-07 were the most in a single season since the 1987-88 team had a then school-record 25 victories.
Currently sitting with 916 career victories in his 40-year head coaching career, Huggins is one of only six Division I coaches all-time with 900 or more career victories, which includes stints at Walsh College (1980-83), Akron (1984-89), Cincinnati (1989-2005), K-State and West Virginia (2007-present).
Huggins is one of 13 members of the Class of 2022, including NBA stars Manu Ginobili and Tim Hardaway, WNBA icons Swin Cash and Lindsay Whalen, former longtime NBA head coach George Karl, standout college and WNBA head coach Marianne Stanley and longtime NBA official Hugh Evans.
In addition, five others were honored for induction from distinguished committees, including Lou Hudson (Veterans Committee), Larry Costello and Del Harris (Contributor Committee), Theresa Shank-Grentz (Women's Veterans Committee) and Radivoj Korac (International Committee).
The Class of 2022 will be enshrined in the Naismith Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts on Saturday, September 10 at the newly-renovated Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame and MassMutual Center.
Huggins is the sixth individual with K-State ties to be elected to the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame, following head coaches Jack Gardner (1984), Fred "Tex" Winter (2011) and Cotton "Lowell" Fitzsimmons (2021) and All-Americans Bob Boozer (2010) and Mitch Richmond (2014). Boozer was elected as a contributor on one of the greatest Olympic teams (1960) of all-time.
Hired as the 22nd head coach on March 23, 2006, Huggins gave K-State instant credibility arriving as one of the most successful coaches in the country with over 500 career wins and 15 trips to the NCAA Tournament to his credit, including the 1992 Final Four. In his lone season, he helped the Wildcats to their first 20-win season and first postseason appearance in eight seasons in 2006-07.
In addition to his 23 wins, Huggins also helped the program to one of its best ever in the Big 12 era, as K-State earned its first bye at the Big 12 Championship with a fourth-place finish and a 10-6 record. In the process, the Wildcats snapped nationally-ranked Texas its only home loss, snapping a 22-game home court winning streak, swept the series from rivals Missouri (just second time since 1982), Iowa State and Colorado. The team's win over Vermont in the first round of the NIT was the first postseason victory since 1994.
Huggins helped set the stage for a revival of the Wildcat program, as his 23-win season and NIT appearance in 2006-07 started a streak of eight consecutive 20-win seasons and eight consecutive postseason appearances (six NCAA Tournaments, two NITs), which are both the longest such stretches in school history.
Huggins left K-State in 2007 to become head coach at his alma mater West Virginia. He has led the Mountaineers to 326 wins and 10 NCAA Tournament appearances in 15 seasons, including a trip to the 2010 Final Four. He became the sixth coach in NCAA Division I history to win 900 games when WVU defeated Morehead State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on March 20, 2021.
Huggins will enter the 2022-23 season behind only Syracuse's Jim Boeheim on the list of active winningest coach in Division I with a 916-399 (.697) overall record in 40 seasons. His 916 wins are the seventh-most by a head coach regardless of level in men's college basketball history.
Enshrinement festivities will begin on Friday, September 9 at the Mohegan Sun with the Enshrinement Tip-Off Celebration and Awards Gala. The Class of 2022 will then journey to the Springfield, Massachusetts for the annual celebratory events taking place at the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame on Saturday, September 10.
Tickets for the 2022 Enshrinement Ceremony and all Enshrinement events are on sale now and available online at www.hoophall.com or by calling the Basketball Hall of Fame at (413) 231.5513.
How to follow the 'Cats: For complete information on K-State men's basketball, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
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