Josh Eilert has been appointed as the interim coach of the West Virginia men’s basketball team following the resignation of Bob Huggins. Eilert, who has no prior head coaching experience, was chosen by athletic director Wren Baker to lead the team during the upcoming offseason. Given the limited options for conducting a nationwide search in June and the urgency of finding a replacement, the decision was made to hire someone from within the program.
Baker acknowledged that conducting a search at this time would have put the team at a disadvantage and opted to postpone the national search until the conclusion of the 2023-24 season. The decision to promote Eilert was based on his integral role within the program, his integrity, work ethic, and dedication. Eilert has been with Huggins since their time together at Kansas State in 2006 and has held various positions within the West Virginia program.
The West Virginia players have a 30-day window to enter the transfer portal under NCAA rules, and it is expected that some may choose to do so. However, Eilert’s appointment as interim coach may help in retaining the current roster, particularly the upperclassmen who were recruited through the transfer portal.
Eilert expressed his gratitude for the opportunity and credited Huggins for his mentorship over the years. Other candidates, including UAB coach and former Huggins assistant Andy Kennedy and former West Virginia and Michigan coach John Beilein, were linked to the coaching opening but were not selected.
Huggins resigned on June 17 following a drunken driving arrest. He had assembled a strong recruiting class for the upcoming season, featuring several transfers. Huggins had been the head coach at West Virginia for 16 years, but his tenure ended after the DUI charge and previous controversies, including a suspension for using an anti-gay slur. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in September 2022.
