The rivalry within the rivalry

Andre Tate, UC’s director of student-athlete development, has his own personal rivalry brewing in this game. WV assistant Erik Martin was Tate’s assistant coach for two years at Cincinnati State.

“That’s my guy,” Tate said. “We want to beat each moreso than it’s a Coach Huggins thing. I definitely want to go one up on Erik.”

Tate played on Huggins’ first UC team in 1989-90. He still remembers his first practice under Huggins.

“He was a drill sergeant,” Tate said. “I thought I was getting ready for boot camp. When he first got the job we heard that he’s a Bobby Knight, fiery, crazy, get up in your fact. That practice was very intense. He got after it. But I liked a coach like that. He had a big impact on me. He showed me how to be a man, how to be a leader. Some of my coaching philosophies as far as defense I took from him when I was a head coach. He’s like a father figure to me."