Former UK Basketball Coach - Billy Gillispie Arrested for DUI

Former Kentucky head basketball coach “Billy Gillispie” was arrested and charged with DUI early morning on Thursday at 2:47 a.m.  He was charge with DUI after refusing to take a sobriety test after police said they smelled wine on his breath.  A passenger was also arrested for alcohol intoxication.

Gillispie was pulled over in Anderson County while heading toward Frankfurt and later charged with DUI.  He was arraigned early this morning and pleaded “Not Guilty” to the DUI charge.  Police stated that he told them he was playing golf earlier that day. 

Gillispie’s right to drive in Kentucky was suspended for 120 days by the Judge that arraigned him.  He was released from jail this morning and his next court appearance is on September 23rd, 2009.

Kentucky is in the Spotlight Again, Is it Good?

Once again, the University of Kentucky basketball program is in the spotlight again.  For a while now (about 2 months), it has been nothing but good news, but now comes the not-so-good news.

The first look is at Billy Gillispie and what everyone figured would take place.  He is suing the University of Kentucky Athletics for what he claims is money owed to him.  In all, it is roughly 6 million dollars that is said to be owed to him if he was fired.  The stipulation was that if he had gotten fired, he would have been owed 1.5 million dollars per year over a course of 4 years.  UK Athletics claim that they were in the process of negotiations with Gillispies’ associates when learning of the lawsuit.

And now, it is being reported that the University of Memphis faces several infractions by the NCAA committee including Academic violations.  One of the violations is that a certain student had cheated or that someone cheated for him on his SAT’s in 2007-2008 season.  It is being speculated that the student in question is actually Derrick Rose, now in the NBA.  While John Calapari’s name has not been linked to these allegations, it brings everyone back to the Calapari days at Umass where Marcus Camby’s name came up in NCAA violations.  While Calapari’s name is not involved, this gives many negative reporters something to speculate on and attempt to give Calapari another blemish on his resume.  I personally don’t see it hurting Calapari, but it will probably be the same as the Camby situation and will follow John Calapari throughout his career.

Well, that’s all the bad news for now and hopefully for a while to come.  Bring on the season and let’s start talking about basketball!!

The Best Fit at Head Coach for the Kentucky Wildcats?

Now that Coach Billy Gillispie has been let go by the University of Kentucky, it is time to talk about who might replace him as head coach.  Here are the possibilities that I have come up with based on the media and other sources:

Billy Donovan (Florida)
Billy Donovan would be the best fit for the head coaching position at Kentucky.  He spent years under Rick Pitino as an assistant coach and knows the program.  Unfortunately, he soon expressed (after the Gillispie firing) that he has no intentions of leaving Florida for any other school and that his intentions are to stay focused on Florida basketball and building the program.

Travis Ford (Oklahoma State)
Travis Ford, being a former Kentucky player and a native of Kentucky, knows Kentucky basketball really well.  He has been a head coach in the state of Kentucky (most notably at Eastern Kentucky).  He put a good run together at Oklahoma State this year.  I’m quite sure that he would say yes to the offer if Kentucky offered him the head coaching position.  Now the downfall, he hasn’t really stayed in one place for too long and doesn’t seem to have enough experience as a head coach to take over a high-profile position, such as the one at Kentucky.  My take, if Travis Ford was named the next head coach at Kentucky, I would be happy with the hiring.  I would understand that it may take him a couple of years to get on track, but I would be willing to be more patient with a guy like Travis Ford, compared to Billy G.  I think that he could be a great ambassador of Kentucky Basketball and I wouldn’t foresee any problems arising with the media or players.

John Calipari (Memphis)
Another big name that has arisen in the rumor mill is John Calipari of Memphis.  I just don’t know if he would be a great fit at Kentucky, but he does have an outstanding track record with Memphis and can obviously recruit really well.  If it was announced that he would be the next UK coach, then I would be glad to hear it.  I would rather have him than an up and coming mid-major coach, but he wouldn’t be my first choice for the job as shown here.

Bob Knight (ESPN Analyst) w/ Travis Ford as Assistant
This actually came from the horses’ mouth.  I am referring to Dick Vitale (the basketball guru), actually suggested bringing in Bobby Knight and having Travis Ford as his assistant.  He suggested to let Bobby Knight be the head coach for about 5 years and then allow Travis Ford to take over the head coaching position.  Even with Knight’s controversy, I would not mind if he were to be hired.  I think it would be great!  He has a track record of being a great coach and to have Travis Ford under him and eventually taking over as head coach.  In my opinion, it would be a win-win situation.

Other Notable Names That Have Come Up
Rick Barnes of Texas
John Pelphrey of Arkansas (Former Kentucky Player/Native)
Jay Wright of Villanova
Mark Few of Gonzaga
Bruce Pearl of Tennessee (doubtful he would leave Tenn. for Kentucky)
Jamie Dixon of Pittsburgh

Now that you have seen the names that have been spread across the rumor mill, who would be your first choice for the head coaching position at Kentucky?  Let your opinion be known by leaving a comment here!

Buyout of Coach Billy Gillispie’s Contract

The University of Kentucky has stated that Billy Gillispie will not receive the expected $6 million dollar buyout that the memorandum stated he would receive if he was fired from the head coaching job at Kentucky.  No official contract was ever signed by Gillispie even though it was expected to get signed about 2 months after the memorandum was set in place.  Billy Gillispie opted to never sign the official contract, but legal sources say that as long as the memorandum has dates, names, and signatures, it can be conceived as a perfectly legal document if UK and Gillispie took this to court.

UK is expected to attempt to settle with Gillispie and stated that they plan to offer a fair buyout proposal to Coach Billy Gillispie, but it will not be the expected $6 million dollars.  More to come later on this developing situation.

Coach Billy Gillispie Has Been Fired

It was announced earlier today by reliable sources that UK basketball Coach, Billy Gillispie has been officially fired as the UK head basketball coach.  A press conference is set for 4:30 p.m. (EDT) by Kentucky’s Athletic Department with more information on the firing.

There has been no word of a possible coach that Kentucky has been communicating with and it is reported that no information will be available on this during the press conference scheduled later on today.  This firing should come as no surprise to most of the Big Blue Fan Nation.  It was credited that the firing was more-so for incidents off the court than on the court, which is what everyone expected it to be for in the first place.

Tune in to your local station at 4:30 p.m. (EDT) for more information on this developing story.  If you live outside of Kentucky, it is quite possible that the press conference will be aired on ESPN as well.

Has Coach Billy Gillispie Been Fired?

There have been numerous sources stating that Coach Billy Gillispie has been fired or stepped down from the coaching job at the University of Kentucky.  Please understand that there is no way to officially confirm this statement at the moment, but look for a press conference soon either by the school or by Billy Gillispie or by both.  This really shouldn’t come as a big shock to anyone because it seemed like a 50-50 chance that he would be let go after this year.

If the above statement is true, who would be a good fit for the University of Kentucky basketball program.  Billy Donovan’s name has resurfaced for the job.  Now that his Florida team isn’t doing so well, might he reconsider the offer that was given to him by Kentucky before the Billy Gillispie hire?  It is possible, but in no way confirmed.  Treat all this as speculation for now until official news is released.

What other coaches might be a good fit?  What about former Kentucky players and Kentucky natives that have been making progress as coaches, such as Travis Ford of Oklahoma State or John Pelphrey of Arkansas?  These young coaches would probably be accepted by fans since they played at UK and have an understanding of Kentucky basketball and what is expected from the program, but would they really be able to fill the shoes of the past with coaching legends such as Rupp and Pitino?  There’s really only one way to tell and that would be to hire one of them as Kentucky head basketball coach, but would Kentucky take that chance after a failed marriage with Gillispie?  The answer is ”very doubtful”.

What about the bigger name coaches, such as John Calipari of Memphis or Rick Pitino of Louisville?  It is highly unlikely that any big name coaches would be willing to give up their current teams to come to Kentucky, especially Rick Pitino…sorry guys.

The fact of the matter is that many coaches may not want to fill Billy Gillispie’s shoes after seeing what he has been through.  UK may have to settle for an up and coming coach from a mid-major program, but that won’t be a popular choice by most Wildcat fans.  When/if the official news surfaces of Gillispie’s firing, look for more shakeups for Kentucky basketball, such as players transferring and Gillispie recruits choosing to go elsewhere.

If Billy Gillispie is out, next year may have to turn into a rebuilding year for the program.  The Kentucky Wildcats’ fan base might have to sit through another year or two of embarrassing losses, low conference finishes, and non-existent post season play.  If this is the case, don’t get discouraged, just bare with the program in the coming years and eventually UK will bounce back as a powerhouse in college basketball if the right coach is hired.

Kentucky’s Season is Now Over, Let the Drama Begin

The Kentucky Wildcats’ season ended in a loss to Notre Dame in the 2009 NIT Quarterfinals yesterday.  Now, the drama will start unfolding as to whether Billy Gillispie will remain the Kentucky Wildcats’ basketball coach and which, if any, players will transfer or enter the NBA draft.  Below is a rundown of all the possibilities that you, as a Kentucky basketball fan, can expect in the near future.

Will coach Billy Gillispie be fired?
And the answer is, probably, maybe not, we just don’t know yet.  There are many deciding factors that the UK Athletics Director will have to take into account (if he hasn’t already) on what to do in this situation.

Billy Gillispie Pros 

• He has been talked about as being one of the best recruiting coaches
• He is said to be dedicated to the game of basketball
• He has a good track record of turning basketball teams around

Billy Gillispie Cons

• Even though he is said to be dedicated to basketball, many speculate that he just doesn’t fit the mold of a Kentucky coach, more-so off the court than on the court
• Whether this is the players fault or not, under Gillispie, the team just can’t seem to figure out other team’s defenses and offenses
• It is speculated that he works the players too hard in practice
• Many questionable decisions about playing time and substitutions during certain games have given him a “not so good” reputation in many fans’ eyes

If Coach Gillispie were to be fired, the program will be able to bring in a coach that better fits the mold of what everyone expects from the UK head basketball coach.  However, UK would have to pay Gillispie 6 million dollars due to his contract.  Not only that, but UK might not be able to reel in any big fish due to the fact that Gillispie only lasted 2 years at Kentucky and many coaches might see that as discouragement or too big of a burden to take on.  This shouldn’t be too big of a factor, because when it comes down to it, coaches want to get paid and coach at a legendary school and Kentucky can pay them, so there shouldn’t be too big of an issue in getting a big name or up and coming coach.

Some other things to point out…usually when the coach goes, so do some players.  DeAndre Liggins has let it be publicly known that he is going to sit down with his family and discuss his future.  He may transfer and it may or may not have anything to do with the coaching situation.  Also, Daniel Orton’s dad has been publicly quoted in saying that Daniel Orton wants to play for Coach Gillispie at Kentucky and if Kentucky does make a coaching change, Daniel may choose to play for another school next year.  Daniel Orton is the 5-Star recruit coming in next year from Oklahoma.

Jodie Meeks and Patrick Patterson should come back next year as they both don’t seem physically ready for the NBA, but they may test the waters and enter the draft.  Jodie Meeks was quoted a couple weeks back in saying that he plans to return for his Senior season, but that was a couple of weeks ago and things can change.  Patrick Patterson should come back at least for his Junior year to get some more experience before heading to the NBA draft, but if he decides to declare for the draft this year, he will probably be a late first round/early second round pick.

Darius Miller is from Kentucky and will probably stay with the UK program.  Kevin Galloway and Josh Harrellson are probably not going anywhere since they just transferred to UK, but you never know.  Ramon Harris/Michael Porter will, more than likely, finish their college career at Kentucky.  There hasn’t been any report on the two 4-Star recruits coming in next year about their feelings and thoughts if there were to be a coaching change at the University of Kentucky and if that would affect their decisions to play at UK.

Just remember, this is all speculation, hearsay, rumors, and such.  There is nothing guaranteed and everything seems to be up in the air when referring to UK and it’s future decisions and that of it’s players.  The only thing that I can guarantee is that when something happens that affects UK and the basketball program, this website will be updated with the news as soon as possible.