Lutz a hit at roast for Huggins

Sounds like Bobby can do standup once he decides to give up coaching....

Highlights of the Roast and Toast
The Cincinnati Enquirer
September 30, 2005

Some told zingers, others came up with duds.

And then there was Kenyon Martin, who demanded that his retired jersey and trophies at the University of Cincinnati be removed. It was funny and controversial, but it was always interesting Thursday at “Thanks Coach! A Roast and A Toast,” in honor of former University of Cincinnati men’s basketball coach Bob Huggins.

Rick Pitino, Louisville
Highlight of the roast: Pitino told how when he first came on the scene in Conference USA, he didn’t know the officials names until he heard Huggins call them out by name. “It was, excuse me, Mr. (expletive). Mr. (expletive). Mr (expletive). After a while, I found out all their names.”

Why he came: “I think we all in Conference USA as well as the coaching profession would have loved to have witnessed Bob going out as he visits Louisville, as he visits Memphis and give him a good send off. But we didn’t have the opportunity to do that because he didn’t coach this season. So this is the next best thing for us to pay our respects to him and give him a night to sort of say goodbye.”

Bobby Lutz, Charlotte
Highlight of the roast: There were several. “Last year, for the first time ever under Bob Huggins, all his players made straight As. Straight As! Their Ds were a little crooked, but they’re making progress.”

“America’s a great country. If Nancy Zimpher can be president of the University of Cincinnati, anything is possible.”

“I’ve known Bob for 10 years. I’ve never known anyone like him. Hopefully, my luck will continue in the future.”

Also gave Huggins a Diego Guevara bobblehead doll.

Why he came: “He’s the face of Cincinnati basketball. At least that’s how I see it.”

Steve Welmer, college referee
Highlight of the roast: Referring to the sustained silence of the coaches behind him, “That’s the longest time these (S.O.Bs) haven’t yelled at me.”

Why he came: Told how Huggins is one of his great friends, even though they are sometime adversaries on the court.

Danny Fortson, former UC All-American
Highlight of the roast: Referring to Huggins, “That man right there, he’s responsible for teaching us to stay out of trouble. Nah, just kidding.”

Why he came: “This is emotional right now. This shouldn’t happen. This is a great man.”

Kenyon Martin, former UC National Player of the Year
Highlight of the roast: “I want my name to be no longer affiliated with the University of Cincinnati. Take my [retired] jersey down. If he’s not affiliated with the University, I don’t want to be.”

Why he came: “Why wouldn’t I come? It’s only right. That man paved the way for me. He made me who I am. I wasn’t near as talented as most guys. But he stayed on me, made me work on my game. He was like a father figure to me. It was rough to hear people bad mouthing him. The way he was treated by the university, it wasn’t nice.”

Rod Baker, former UC assistant coach
Highlight of the roast: In talking about Huggins education and referencing Huggins DUI arrest in 2004, “You saw it (education) when he was doing the alphabet…What? Like Nancy’s going to hire me, right.”

Why he came: Trying to put things in proper perspective is difficult because there’s no finer human being than that sits in that chair right there.”

Andy Kennedy, UC head coach, former assistant
Highlight of the roast: “We love you, we support you. But after every loss, I’m going to blame you.”

Why he came: “To show my undying love and support for my mentor and my friend.”

Tubby Smith, Kentucky
Highlight of the roast: Showing Huggins his national championship ring, “I wanted Bob to take a real good look at what a national championship ring looks like.”

Why he came: “To let people know to really cherish and let people appreciate what they are going to miss. Hopefully the next guy will do a good job, but he’s got big shoes to fill.”

Charlie Spoonhour, retired, former coach at Saint Louis and UNLV
Highlight of the roast: In talking about how he and Huggins went suit shopping earlier Thursday, “Bob told the salesman, George, ‘I’d like to see a suit in my size.’ And George said, ‘I would too.’ ”

Why he came: “I really got to know him better than a lot of coaches because he would call to see how I was doing. He spent of time caring about all the coaches.”

John Calipari, Memphis
Highlight of the roast: “Bob and I got way back to his Walsh College days. In all that time, no one has ever questioned his intelligence. Matter of fact, no one’s ever mentioned it.”

Why he came: “He’s got a lot of people that care about him. But the biggest thing is we’re all getting an opportunity to whack him.”

Funniest coach (who told jokes appropriate for publication): Bobby Lutz got a lot of laughs, especially when he said, “People say Bob is two-faced. Can’t be. If you had two faces, is that the one you would show?”

Are we supposed to laugh now?: Most of Tubby Smith’s early jokes, particularly when he went off on a tangent about John Calipari and Rick Pitino’s hair, just fell flat. He made a good comeback, however, when he talked about riding in police cars, and mentioned that when riding alongside his police escort, he usually rides in the front seat. We also laughed when Smith said Huggins players were so strong they looked like they were “ready to break you half or punch a horse in the mouth.”

Most dramatic: Kenyon Martin hands down. Martin mentioned back stage that he had no desire to see his retired jersey continue to be displayed at UC. Then he went a step further and announced it to the crowd, drawing both applause and pleas from fans to reconsider.

“It may be selfish, but it’s a choice I had to make as a man.”

Where was he?: Skip Prosser was schedule to make it but did not attend, which emcee Bill Cunningham attributed to Prosser’s interest in the UC job. “Pete Gillen was invited, but he still won’t shake Bob’s hand. Skip Prosser was invited, but he wants Bob’s job, so he didn’t show up.”

I like ya, but not that much: In a video-taped presentation, Michael Jordan had this to say: “Don’t call me. We’ll be friendly forever, but don’t call me for anything.”

-Dustin Dow

 

Potshots aside, toast shows Huggins' impact
The roast drew thousands, including some of college basketball's best coaches. What a way to go out.
By Kevin Kelly, Cincinnati Enquirer Staff Writer
September 30, 2005

The evening's honoree, dressed in a three-piece black suit, lounged in an oversized brown leather chair as thousands celebrated his career.

The Bob Huggins era in Cincinnati ended officially Thursday, the coach surrounded by loyal fans, respectful peers and dozens of former players.

The former University of Cincinnati men's basketball coach, whose highly successful but sometimes controversial 16-year run at the school ended with an abrupt ousting last month, was the focus of an emotional roast that attracted 6,214 to U.S. Bank Arena.

"I want to take the opportunity to say thanks," Huggins said during an emotional 30-minute speech. "Cincinnati and you people have been home, and you've been family."

Money raised from the event will be split between Huggins' Emanuel Center charity and the Salvation Army's Hurricane Katrina fund.

The roasters included fellow coaches Rick Pitino of Louisville, Tubby Smith of Kentucky, Bobby Lutz of Charlotte, John Calipari of Memphis and the now-retired Charlie Spoonhour.

"His kids got an education on what it is to be a man," Pitino said. "If your teams left anything behind that night, you were getting your tails kicked. You had to be ready.

"I've coached against...some of the great ones in the game. I can tell you...I never worked any harder preparing for an opponent than preparing for the University of Cincinnati."

Smith, speaking about Huggins' desire to play UK during the regular season, alluded to the result of the NCAA Tournament game this year, in which Kentucky beat UC 69-60:

"I know Bob wanted to play Kentucky. Sometimes, you better be careful what you wish for."

Video tributes from Michael Jordan, television analyst Dick Vitale and Cincinnati mayor Charlie Luken also were played.

"I got fired by the Pistons," Vitale said. "I went into television, Robert. And you know what? I haven't lost a game in 26 years. Try it. You'll like it, baby!"

Former player Kenyon Martin was one of 33 former and active Bearcats players who attended.

Now with the Denver Nuggets, he expressed his clear displeasure over how Huggins' reign ended.

"This is personal between me and the university," Martin said. "The way I feel, I want my name no longer affiliated with the University of Cincinnati. I would like them to take my jersey down and get rid of my locker and my trophies."

Boos greeted any mention of UC President Nancy Zimpher or any reference to how Huggins' tenure at UC ended.

"America is a great country," Lutz said during the 2½-hour event, "because if Nancy Zimpher can be president of the University of Cincinnati, anything is possible."

At the conclusion of Lutz's presentation, which included reading phony want ads for a compliance director at Murray State and an anger-management counselor position for Russell Crowe, he presented Huggins with a "Got Lutz?" T-shirt, a season-ticket brochure for Charlotte and a Diego bobblehead.

Scattered on the arena floor, in front of the stage, were 54 tables for VIPs. Each table cost $1,000.

Daryn Godhigh, of Clifton, was the first fan through the gates.

"I've always been a big fan of Coach Huggins, and a big supporter," Godhigh, a UC season-ticket holder, said. "I just wanted to show my appreciation. Plus it's for a good cause."

Len Orme, of Northgate, wandered around the VIP reception holding a pair of white basketballs with the autographs of some of the luminaries in attendance.

"I just wished him the best," said Orme, who collected Huggins' signature. "Hopefully, he finds a good job again ...even though he doesn't need it."

Orme renewed his season tickets for the upcoming UC basketball season and wishes interim head coach Andy Kennedy the best.

"Andy Kennedy is a nice guy and all that," he said. "But following Bob Huggins is going to be tough. If you lose, you don't have a job. If you win, (Zimpher) may not keep you around. That's a shame."

Connie Shideler, of Eastgate, attended with several of her co-workers from Arlinghaus Builders.

"I just think it's a tremendous loss for the city, a tremendous loss," she said. "We're big sports people (in Cincinnati). We like to win. He's been a great coach."

 

Laughter, tears, hugs all part of celebration
By Dustin Dow, Cincinnati Enquirer Staff Writer
September 30, 2005

It might have been a get together at a coaches' Final Four convention had the calendar said "April" and the setting been San Antonio or Indianapolis.

But two days before October and a month after Bob Huggins' departure from the University of Cincinnati men's basketball program, this was more of a group hug than a roundball discussion.

Huggins was the one being hugged, often literally.

Coaches and former players came from all over the country Thursday night, descending upon U.S. Bank Arena to take jabs at the former UC coach, honoring him for his 16 years on the UC sideline.

The event, "Thanks Coach! A Toast and A Roast" wasn't all in good fun, however. Former UC All-American and national player of the year, Kenyon Martin, now with the Denver Nuggets, demanded that his retired jersey be taken down from UC's Fifth Third Arena because of Huggins' ouster.

"I don't want my name affiliated with the University of Cincinnati," Martin said during the event.

"Without Coach Huggins, my name never would have been affiliated with the university. So he's not there, the way it ended, it wasn't like he decided to retire. They forced him to retire. ... Why? Take my jersey down. My locker in the locker room, take that out. My trophies that he helped me get, take them out," Martin said.

Most of the coaches, though, from Louisville's Rick Pitino to Charlotte's Bobby Lutz, seemed to enjoy their opportunity to make fun of the guy they had to coach against for so many years.

As Huggins sat back in an easy chair, Lutz told the crowd of 6,214 how Huggins' players performed so well academically in his final season on the Bearcats' sideline.

"For the first time under Bob Huggins," Lutz said, "all his players made straight As. Straight As! Their Ds are a little crooked, but they're making progress."

The roster of coaches also included retired college coach Charlie Spoonhour, Memphis coach John Calipari, Kentucky coach Tubby Smith and current UC coach Andy Kennedy. Wake Forest's Skip Prosser was unable to attend.

To get them all at one event on such short notice was impressive, Pitino said.

"I think we all in Conference USA, as well as the coaching profession, would have loved to have witnessed Bob going out as he visits Louisville, as he visits Memphis and give him a good send off," Pitino said as he milled amongst fans before the event. "But we didn't have the opportunity to do that because he didn't coach this season. So this is the next best thing for us to pay our respects to him and give him a night to sort of say goodbye."

Pitino told the crowd how he learned what the referees' names were in Conference USA by watching Huggins refer to them by expletive-laden name after expletive-laden name.

Kennedy, who joked that his bosses at UC might have a problem with his presence at the event, said he wanted to be there to support his friend.

"I'm grateful," Kennedy said. "We'll be friends forever. Coach Huggins is very respected in the coaching community. He is what he is, which is unusual in today's coaching. He's straightforward, he's honest. He doesn't try to be one way for one person, and another way for someone else. People respect his honesty."

Spoonhour, a longtime coaching friend of Huggins' who coached against him at Saint Louis University, first told the crowd what he thought of emcee Bill Cunningham.

"Billy's a very ugly little fellow, isn't he?" Spoonhour said. Then, Spoonhour described what he thought was the Huggins strategy when he went up against the former UC coach.

"I see foul after foul," Spoonhour said. "Huggins' idea of a perfect play was all five guys whacking at the same time."

Thursday night, however, the only whacking came from Martin, and it was directed toward UC. Everyone else had a hug waiting for Huggins.

 

that guy is fucking hilarious!!! ROFL!!!