Bob Huggins' $100,000 Buyout a Bargain for West Virginia

To review, this week West Virginia lost coach John Beilein to Michigan and pocketed a $2.5 million buyout in the process. Then West Virginia took coach Bub Huggins from Kansas State and paid a $100,000 buyout in the process.

Yeah, I'd say WVU got a pretty good deal here.

Pat Forde is maybe the best college basketball writer in the country, but he couldn't be more wrong than he was when he just said on ESPN that Huggins' leaving is "reprehensible." It's part of the college basketball business, and everyone knows how the game is played: Beilein knew he'd have to find a way to come up with the $2.5 million when he left for Michigan. West Virginia knew its athletic department would do well financially if Beilein left early. Kansas State knew a small buyout would be no obstacle to Huggins leaving.

I don't feel the least bit badly for any of Huggins' recruits, either. The kind of player who gets recruited by Bob Huggins isn't some naive kid who's planning to spend four years with a coach who can mold young minds. Big-time high school players understand what the recruiting business is about. Both the WVU administration and the big-time recruits who will no doubt play for Huggins at West Virginia know exactly what kind of coach they're getting.

Previously at Fanhouse:
Bob Huggins Leaves Kansas State for West Virginia
The Big East Just Became a Lot More Fun with Huggins
With the Hugger in Morgantown, Does Michael Beasley Follow?
K-State Fans Are Not Taking It Well