Published: May 08, 2008 11:24 pm         

Mountaineers coach Huggins is ‘fine’ after fall at airport

MORGANTOWN — West Virginia University men’s basketball coach Bob Huggins was released from a Charlotte, N.C., hospital and planned to attend a dinner of that city’s WVU alumni chapter Thursday night.

That’s what Athletic Director Ed Pastilong said in an update here at 9 p.m. Thursday.

In mid-afternoon, he had issued a statement from his office, saying Huggins had fallen and hit his head on the pavement Thursday morning after he and other athletic department personnel had deplaned in Charlotte.

“After he got off the plane, Coach Huggins was checking his cell phone messages when he tripped over a cone on the airport tarmac,” Pastilong said he was informed. “He received a bump on his head and was taken to the hospital for precautionary reasons.”

He never lost consciousness, however, and he was discharged from the hospital after observation and tests indicated he was not seriously hurt.

Pastilong said Huggins, assistant coach Billy Hahn, WVU alumni officials and the members of the Charlotte alumni chapter gathered to play golf and then have a dinner at night.

Last Friday WVU announced that Huggins had signed what amounts to a lifetime contract which guarantees him at least $20.5 million over a period of 10 years and four months. He will turn 65 in 2019.

In his first season at his alma mater, he guided the Mountaineers to a 26-11 record, fifth place in the Big East, an advanced to the NCAA tournament’s “Sweet 16,” and 17th ranking in the final national polls.

West Virginia sports writers elected Huggins as 2007-08 state College Coach of the Year. He is averaging a gaudy 23.6 victories a season for 26 years as a head coach.