Speculation Begins About Billy Gillispie's Future at Kentucky

A report has been circling around the Internet the past day that says Kentucky basketball coach Billy Gillispie could be out after just two years on the job because of a players' mutiny against the coach.

Leoweekly.com reported late Tuesday afternoon that a source with some University of Kentucky connections who has been "spot on in the past" said that Gillispie is "Going, going gone...only way, I'm told to prevent mass exodus....expect announcement soon." After the initial report, the website came back with another post, this time with even more confirmation.

Since my last post, I have spoken with several sources, and it now appears as if Billy Clyde Gillispie's departure from UK is imminent. This info comes from people well placed within the UK community, people who have provided reliable information to me in the past about UK personnel moves.

The termination, I'm told, will happen soon after UK's last game.

While it does seem to make sense with Kentucky's history, there is no confirmation from any of the big news sources in the area. Neither the Lexington Herald-Leader and Louisville Courier-Journal have confirmed any of this information, so take the report for what it's worth.

But, with that said, the notion that "Billy Clyde" could be done shouldn't come as a shock to anyone. Gillispie went to Kentucky to bring the program back to being a storied powerhouse, but it lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in 2008 and didn't even make the big dance this season, snapping a streak that dates back to 1991. This coming after Gillispie took both the University of Texas El Paso to the NCAA Tournament in just his second season with the program and Texas A&M to the Sweet Sixteen in his third season.

On Tuesday night, Kentucky beat UNLV in the first round of the NIT to advance to the field of 16.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

3-18-2009 @ 9:32PM

eycart21 said...

GOOD!!!!

3-18-2009 @ 10:57PM

ka2david said...

It would be surprise if Kentucky make a change. I thank changing coaches after two seasons is not fair. It takes two or three years just to build your recruiting based.Then you can evaluate if the coaching staff is meeting the schools basketball expectations.

3-19-2009 @ 12:12PM

superman1541 said...

It's not fair? Life's not fair, and this is the Big Blue Nation. We can not accept mediocrity. Billy G had his chance and now it's his time to move on. I lost all faith when we were down 13 to LSU with 5 minutes to go and he was smiling on the sideline. How can you expect our boys to rally around such a laxidaisical "coach"

3-22-2009 @ 8:53PM

Sherries1970 said...

Are you serious? Just like a typical UK fan...when the going gets a little rough you're calling for the coach's head on a silver platter you can't afford! Let's see YOU try to coach Tubby's renegades and see how quick Big Blue Nation is calling for your head on a silver platter!

super jock said...

All coaches have their own way in handling disappointments. He could have thrown a chair. The biggest problem this team has is inability to guard speed with the ball and passing. You can't make someone faster are taller, you recurit these things and he has. I jodie and patrick stays with the players he has and the new one coming next year well be fun. We don't
need to write coach Gillispie off yet.

3-25-2009 @ 9:16PM

seriously1254 said...

I think that everyone needs to sit back and remember the past. Tubby only got somewhere because Rick P. left him with a really good team. He left Billie G with trouble. He is doing a good job with the team and he is pulling them together as a team. You have to allow him the time to fix Tubby's mess he left behind.....

3-26-2009 @ 12:48PM

Kelli said...

the fans need to give gillespie a break,he had a ten year mess of tubby smith to clean up,he deserves more than 2 years,i dont like seeing KY lose but they will be in worse shape next year if gillispie leaves,get off his back

3-26-2009 @ 1:03PM

my husband said if they get rid of him he will get rid of all the KY stuff he has,he has lived in lexington all his life,i will put all my stuff in a garage sale,give the man a break,he did a good job with what he had ,he cant get on the floor and play the game for them.if he leaves then they deserve another losing season next year.good luck billy g.

3-26-2009 @ 2:22PM

i am just curious were all the KY fans are that want billy g. gone,why havent they wrote any comments on here,they want to run him down in the local papers or to the local news but why dont the write something for all a college basketball fans can see.if they cant give billy g.more than 2 years what about mitch barnhart being gone also,that is where the problem really is.give gillespie a chance!