ESPN catches West Virginia head coach on hot mic

West Virginia University Mountaineers baseball head coach Steve Sabins appears to feel some kind of way about the SEC Network.

The Mountaineers rallied by scoring five runs in the ninth inning to beat Kentucky 11-9 Sunday afternoon as they battled for a bid to the NCAA Tournament’s Super Regional. But just as who and where they’re playing might be important to Sabins during the tournament, which network airs their games appears to be equally important.

ESPN 2 had the game on Sunday afternoon. And with ESPN having Sabins set up for an in-game interview from the dugout, the broadcast returned from a commercial break just as the WVU head coach could be heard saying “SEC Network, so they can f*ck off” over a hot mic. The broadcast quickly moved on and began the interview without acknowledging the hot-mic blunder.

Whoops. pic.twitter.com/eOnJNabHOj

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 1, 2026

Now the question is, who was Sabins telling to f*ck off and why? Does he have an issue with the SEC Network? Does he have an issue with West Virginia airing on the SEC Network instead of ESPN? West Virginia baseball isn’t exactly a national powerhouse, so you would assume Sabins just likes any opportunity to be on national television. Or maybe he has an issue with the SEC in general, which might be the best news for West Virginia baseball fans.

South Carolina is reportedly considering Sabins for its head coaching vacancy. But if Sabins is already telling the SEC to f*ck off, South Carolina might not be a better fit than West Virginia.

We may never know what Sabins meant when he said, “SEC Network, so they can f*ck off.” Although he’ll probably be a little more careful the next time ESPN hands him a headset.