SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Youngstown State men’s basketball head coach Jerrod Calhoun spoke with Gold and Blue Nation Saturday evening at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony.

Calhoun coached under Bob Huggins for six seasons as an assistant coach. He was with the Mountaineers in 2010 when West Virginia played in the Final Four.

That was the most recent of Huggins’ two Final Four appearances.

“He’s a guy that the entire state looks up to,” Calhoun said. “Today is a special day.”

Saturday is also known as Bob Huggins Day across the state of West Virginia.

Calhoun reignited the conversation of Huggins legacy around Morgantown and around the sport in December when he called for WVU to “Get that statue up.”

He once again shared those feelings moments before the Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony got underway.

“We got to get (the statue) up,” Calhoun said. “Hopefully in the next couple months that talk picks up. Just something I always thought was natural to see a statue of coach Huggins outside the Coliseum.”

Calhoun is one of several former coaches and players under Huggins who have flocked to the Northeast this weekend to honor and celebrate the Bear.

Stick with Gold and Blue Nation for more stories and interviews detailing this historic weekend for Huggins. Our coverage is presented by The Health Plan, Little General Stores and Pritt & Spano.

For more information on the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony, visit www.hoophall.com and https://www.nba.com/halloffame.

(Editor’s note: Due to restrictions from the Hall of Fame and NBA Entertainment, Gold and Blue Nation cannot archive Huggins’ enshrinement speech online. The full speech can be viewed on the Hall of Fame’s YouTube channel.)