Billy Gillispie Fired as Kentucky Wildcats Hoops Coach
The Kentucky Wildcats have fired head basketball coach Billy Gillispie after just two seasons on the job. The move comes after a disappointing but not disastrous season.
The Wildcats went 22-14 and made the NIT. However the 14 losses were the second most in the school’s history. Gillispie was 40-27 during his two year enslavement to the University.
Most reports indicate personality conflicts between Gillispie and the Wildcats administration and fans seem to be the biggest reason for the decision.
ESPN summed it up best: “His seemingly random substitution patterns seemed to mystify the 24,000 assistant coaches who pack Rupp Arena every winter.”
Gillispie was successful in turning around the programs at UTEP and Texas A&M before being hired by the Wildcats.
10 Coaches Most Likely to Turn Down Offer to Coach Wildcats Next
- John Calipari
- Billy Donovan
- Tom Izzo
- Jamie Dixon
- Jay Wright
- Rick Pitino
- Roy Williams
- Jeff Capel
- Mike Anderson
- Ralph Turner
Likely Hire: Travis Ford
Update: Kentucky Steals John Calipari and Basketball Program from Memphis
Idiotic post from the Kentucky Wildcats Message Board:
UnKnown75: amen fellas andy katz doesnt know about the cats history or donovans history with the cats!! why and who wouldnt take the UK job to be head coach its one of the best if not the best coaching job in all of sports duh lol hes just a personallity though guys (sorry for spelling and punctuations) lol
Dr. Funknstein: All I know is this “plan” better include a better candidate then Travis Ford or there will be a mob with torches outside Mitch and Larry’s estates . . .
LouievileKat: I have no ill will towards Billy G. I wish him the best of luck down the road. Well unless the press conference reveals he molested children or something… in that unlikely event I hope he dies.
Wildman: If Travis Ford took the job, it would be an epic fail. UK is not a build a resume job. Unless you have a final four to your credit, you shouldn’t even give a sniff. I don’t care if you were an above average player for UK.
FromIn…LoveKY: (About Billy Donovan) Please don’t! He will not be the right fit. Yeah lets hire a coach who has been to 2 straight NIT’s! How about no!
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I’m not sure if any coach worth his salt would want to take the Kentucky job now. Coach Gillispie is a great coach and a fine man and he will land on his feet. I’m sure he’s got to be relieved to get the heck outta Dodge. As for Kentucky, who do you really think they will be able to hire now. My bet is that it will end up being Travis Ford. I think Kentucky is in real danger of sinking to the level that Nebraska and Notre Dame have reached in football, once-great programs who are now a little above mediocre. If you truly want my opinion, I believe that Kentucky fans are spoiled rotten and deserve to go through about 15 years of mediocrity and they’ll be clamoring to get Tubby or Billy G back in Lexington.
i think TRavis FOrd would be a great choice for the next coach, he has been successful at every school he has coached. from campbellsville, to leading Eastern kY to NCAA, TO UMASS, and to now oklahoma state where he led them to NCAA tournament and beat TEnnessee and almost upset #1 Seed Pittsburgh. He was also born and raised in KENtucky and his father has a great coaching background, and yes he played for the KEntucky wildcats under coach Rick Pitino and he had a very succesfull career as a player also. He understands the Prestige of the Kentucky Basketball Program. WE need SOmeone LIKE TRAVIS FORD.
thank you
eddie
This article lost all credibility when they named Roy Williams. Stick to the kiddy pool.
Why settle for mediocrity and let a wonderful tradition die? It should not happen nor should it! UK and the state of Kentucky love basketball and unite around their teams. If UK wants to be one of the best teams, then they should do just that. It is not possible however, with a coach like Billy G. Not only did he lack court performance, but he lacked personal integrity on and off the court. There was no way he would stay or could, he had too many personal problems and was more concerned about himself instead of his players and his job. He beat down his players in multiple ways. I am glad he’s gone!!!! he will get a great job at a community college I am sure!
[...] Wildcats coaching job came open last Friday when they fired head coach Billy Gillispie after just two years as their head [...]
Great post!
“The move comes after a disappointing but not disastrous season.” Then you mention the fact that it is the schools second most losses ever?!?!? So what does it take for a bad season, it has to be THE worst? Not many teams had a bad year last season then. Why did anyone coach fired?
Not to mention it is the first time in 18 years they missed the NCAA Tournament, and the worst loss ever in SEC history under his reign, and turning down invitation to speak to Lexington Rotary Club, becoming first UK coach in 60 years not to carry out the annual pre-season tradition, and on and on and on. Not to mention the local reports of his “party to hardy” sightings here and there. Top it all off with tone of the most bizarre endings where he pretends to be on the phone, and then runs from the press. Now that he is in rehab, do you think MAYBE there was a little bit more going on than just wins and losses (just like the UK administration said)?
I hope the best for him, and I feel bad that he is struggling with alcohol, personally I hope he gets back on the horse and gets to the top again, because I think he can be a good coach with that out of his way, but I think his personal demons got hold of him (which can happen to anyone) while on the job. This last was his third drunk driving charge, so it has been with him a while I would bet. Taking the most pressured coaching job in NCAA basketball is not going to go well when you already have a problem.
think his personal demons got hold of him while on the job.