PITTSBURGH — Appearing in court for the first time since his June 16 arrest for DUI, former West Virginia men’s basketball coach Bob Huggins waived his case of drunk driving Monday morning during a preliminary hearing in Pittsburgh Municipal Court.
The decision sets up a formal arraignment for Huggins on August 17 at 8 a.m. in Pittsburgh, at which time Huggins could have the opportunity to accept an Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition for first-time DUI offenders in Pittsburgh.
The ARD allows a defendant the chance to have charges removed from a public Criminal History Record following successful completion of a required period of probation and participation in appropriate safe driving and alcohol counseling programs.
Accompanied by each of his three attorneys — Robert Delgreco Jr. of Pittsburgh, Robert Fitzsimmons of Wheeling and William Wilmoth of Wheeling — Huggins stood before Magisterial District Judge Kim Clark and District Justice Magistrate Jehosha Wright inside Courtroom 2.
Huggins said “yes” on several occasions while signing documents during a hearing completed in less than 5 minutes.
After exiting the courtroom, Delgreco declined comment and said he’d advised Huggins to do the same. Fitzsimmons and Wilmoth also declined comment as Huggins went upstairs to be fingerprinted.
Huggins arrived at Pittsburgh Municipal Court one hour before his scheduled 9 a.m. hearing and sat inside Courtroom 2 while accompanied by his legal counsel until waiving the case.
Other legal representatives, defendants and law enforcement were present inside the courtroom.
Huggins was charged with DUI after he was seen operating a black university-owned SUV in Pittsburgh on Merchant Street and Ridge Avenue that was in the middle of the road blocking traffic.
According to a criminal complaint, the vehicle had a flat and shredded tire and Huggins was unable to provide an accurate location of where he was.
Per officer accounts, Huggins displayed “every marker for impairment” and was essentially unable to perform a walk and turn test. Empty beer cans were visible in a white garbage bag in the front of his vehicle as well as empty metal beer bottles in another white garbage bag in the trunk.
After being taken into custody, Huggins performed a breathalyzer test that indicated a .210 blood alcohol content level — more than two times Pennsylvania’s legal limit of .08.
Huggins was forced to resign one night following his arrest, which came six weeks after he’d run afoul by making homophobic and anti-Catholic remarks on a Cincinnati radio station.
He has a career record of 935-414, including 345 victories over 16 seasons in Morgantown. At the time of his resignation, Huggins was the winningest active Division I coach in the sport.
Before returning to his alma mater at West Virginia, Huggins was forced out at Cincinnati due to a June 2004 arrest for DUI, ending his successful 16-season tenure with the Bearcats earlier than expected.
He was out of coaching for one season and head coach at Kansas State the next before the WVU job came open.
In his third season with the Mountaineers, Huggins helped lead West Virginia to 31 wins, a Big East Tournament Championship and their second Final Four and first since 1959.