West Virginia names Josh Eilert interim men's basketball coach after Bob Huggins resigns

West Virginia University has named assistant Josh Eilert the interim coach of the men's basketball team for the 2023-24 season, one week after former head coach Bob Huggins resigned following a DUI arrest.

Eilert has spent 16 seasons on the Mountaineers' basketball staff and helped lead the team to 11 NCAA Tournament appearances, including five Sweet 16 berths, most recently in 2018, and the Final Four in 2010.

"Josh Eilert is the right person to lead our men's basketball program next season," Wren Baker, WVU's vice president and director of athletics, announced Saturday. "He has been an important part of our success, and he has displayed great integrity, work ethic and dedication. He has been involved in all facets of our program during his time on the basketball staff, and he has earned this opportunity to coach our team on an interim basis for the 2023-24 season."

Baker said WVU will conduct a national head coach search after the upcoming season ends: "Ultimately what I came to recognize, was that conducting this search in late June was difficult for many of our candidates and also it put our talented student-athletes at a real disadvantage."

BOB HUGGINS resigns as West Virginia men's basketball coach following DUI arrest

Eilert played collegiate basketball at Kansas State from 2002-04 before joining the Wildcats' staff as a graduate assistant from 2005-07. Eilert worked with Huggins during the latter's single season as Kansas State's head coach in 2006–07. Eilert followed Huggins to WVU in 2007 as a video coordinator before ascending in rank.

"I would also like to thank Coach Huggins for retaining me on his staff at K-State in 2006 and for bringing me to West Virginia in 2007," Eilert said in a statement. "I've learned so much from Coach Huggins, and it was an honor to work for a Hall of Fame coach for the last 17 years."

Eilert continued: "I'm excited about this opportunity to lead the wonderful group of guys that we have in our locker room. They have been working extremely hard on the court, in the weight room and in the classroom since they returned to campus on June 5. In the coming days and weeks, I will be solidifying our roster and getting our team ready to head to Italy later this summer."

Huggins resigned last week after he was charged with driving under the influence in Pittsburgh. He was previously suspended by the university in May for the first three games of the season after using a homophobic slur multiple times during a radio interview.

"My recent actions do not represent the values of the University or the leadership expected in this role," Huggins said in his resignation statement. "While I have always tried to represent our University with honor, I have let all of you – and myself – down. I am solely responsible for my conduct and sincerely apologize to the University community – particularly to the student-athletes, coaches and staff in our program."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Josh Eilert named interim coach of West Virginia men's basketball team