When West Virginia's Da'Sean Butler showered praise on Bob Huggins for support during emotional Final Four moment
Former West Virginia coach Bob Huggins had a glory-filled tenure at the helm of the Mountaineers between 2007 and 2023. He is most fondly remembered for a moment he shared with his star player, Da'Sean Butler, during the Mountaineers' magical run to the Final Four of the 2010 NCAA Tournament.
With the Mountaineers trailing 63-48 with nine minutes remaining in the game against Duke, Butler drove to the basket before crumbling to the floor after minimal contact with Blue Devils center Brian Zoubek. It was later revealed that Butler had torn his ACL, and as the medical team worked on him, the divisive Huggins went over to him and consoled him in one of the most iconic moments in March Madness history.
During his postgame news conference, Da'Sean Butler praised Huggins for supporting him during that moment and revealed what he said to the West Virginia coach.
"I was just apologizing because I wanted to win it for him, too," Butler said. "I'm not surprised. That's my coach. He's like a father to me. It's something we expect him to do. Maybe everyone else didn't, but we're all a family and we love each other."
Butler finished the game with 10 points and the Mountaineers lost the game 78-57.
When Bob Huggins recalled viral moment with Da'Sean Butler
During his postgame news conference after the loss to the Duke Blue Devils in the Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament, Bob Huggins revealed that Da'Sean Butler had tried to apologize for letting down his teammates.
"Don't be sorry," Bob Huggins told Butler. "I love ya.
"I knew it was bad because [Butler] is really a tough guy. I've said this repeatedly and I mean this: He's a really, really good player, but he's a better person. When I went out, it was more about he felt like he let his teammates down than his injury. That's how he is. He's got a great heart."
The moment between Huggins and Butler is one of the most memorable moments in NCAA Tournament history and is part of Mountaineers lore, as the former coach is still fondly remembered by the fans.
At the time of his resignation as West Virginia coach in 2023, Bob Huggins had notched 935 wins, which ranked him at No. 10 among both men's and women's basketball coaches. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame in 2022 for his stellar career.