LEXINGTON, Ky. — One day after Kentucky’s season ended with a loss to Notre Dame in the National Invitation Tournament quarterfinals, coach Billy Gillispie says he’s positive the Wildcats are close to becoming a great team.
Whether Gillispie will get a chance to find out is anybody’s guess.
School officials have been quiet about Gillispie’s job status after the Wildcats tumbled through the second half of the season to finish 22-14, tied for the second-most losses in the program’s 106-year history.
University president Lee Todd said recently Gillispie’s position would be evaluated at the end of the season. Todd attended the loss to Notre Dame but did not respond to requests for comment by The Associated Press on Thursday.
Athletic director Mitch Barnhart was planning to meet with Gillispie, though the coach said during his radio show Thursday night no meeting had been scheduled.
Gillispie is 40-27 two se
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Comments » 30
WorkinLikeHeck writes:
Let me know when Kentucky finishes ahead of Tennessee in the SEC while Pearl has been here. Thanks in advance.
PeayPride writes:
He is gone. The assistant coaches cleaned their offices out today. A source of mine said his friend that works in the basketball office told him that the resignation letter was on his Billy G's desk.
Pullingguard writes:
May be so, but do not forget, Ky beat the Vols both times they played this year... Ky did not meet expectations and neither did the Vols... Pearl has most everyone back next year, for I do not see anyone of them going Pro. Not same for Ky for I believe they will lose couple to NBA,,
CoverOrange writes:
I heard Travis Ford is high on their list.
PeayPride writes:
Couple of candidates that are floating around: Pitino (Very unlikely), Donovan, pat riley, Calipari, and Travis Ford.
Rumor was Donovan was in Lexington today were not true. My source has connections at Florida and he called Donovans friend and he was fishing i believe off the keys somewhere. Very good source, he was the trainer for rupp, trainer at florida when they invented gatorade, and trainer for the dream team. His son is the Facility Operations Director at Florida.
TkelynN writes:
My pick would be Ford, I dont see Donovan leaving UF for UK, he has it made down there in the sunshine state. Pitino is in great shape in Louisville, same with Calipari, those are two of the premier teams in basketball the last couple of years, it would be a step down to go to UK even though they may pay a little more. Riley, I dont know much about him but I doubt he would go back to college after a very successful and very long run in the NBA. I would say Riley would likely retire before going to UK. Too much pressure at UK for someone like Riley to come in, it wouldnt be worth it for him. Donovan, Pitino, and Cal were all mentioned 2 years ago and they didnt leave then, they for sure wouldnt leave now to be Wildcats considering the state of UK ball.
utfan15govols writes:
to be honest it will take A LOT of money to get Travis back. Don't just think he will go back because it is his home state or Alma. He is like his daddy, a snake in the grass. I would love to see him at Kentucky, because every school he has been to has had questionable violations.
TurnUpTheVOLtage writes:
Apparently a high profile donor at UK leaked that Gillispie has been fired and they are announcing it in the press conference tomorrow. Thats what some SEC basketball blog said, so who really knows...
pdhuff#552644 writes:
Sad, they didn't have cream-puff CUSA to kick around when they met the real Tigers.
Colliervol writes:
Yep, Mizzou didn't buy into the scam that Memphis has perpetrated on the NCAA for the last four years, did they? Cal and the Tigers finally ran into a talented, focused and better coached team and they got their clock cleaned. I picked Missouri in my bracket because I thought Memphis hadn't played anybody in about 20 games and the difference in talent would shock them. And my hunch was right. I said a week ago that the way to beat a pressing team like Memphis was to be physical and press the heck out of them. Mizzou was the deeper team and it showed.
And I use the term "focused" for a reason. I believe UT has just as much on-court talent as Missouri but there is a huge chasm in the difference in drive and focus. The UT players should be locked in a room and forced to watch the video of last night's game to see how a driven team plays and what focus can do for you.
ZALWEED writes:
I would have to disagree...Ford would jump at the opportunity to come back. However, I don't think he is high on the list. If there is no annoucement by Monday, scratch Donovan and Calipari off the list.
Riley? Now that's funny!
utfan15govols writes:
I am glad you disagree with your comment, but let me ask you, do you know Travis Ford? I went to grad school, high school and even college with him. I am from his home town, I know him very well. I know, it will take some money.
beartn#223846 writes:
<<What a shame. Poor Memphis wants to be considered an "Elite" basketball program. Sorry Calamari but when you start having to play more than just Conf. USA teams, winning becomes a little more difficult.I turned it off when the Tiggers fell down by 24 in the 2nd half. Very non-competitive game.>>
This may be true, but they got farther in the NCAA than us last year and this year. We also want to be an elite program, but still need to get over the Sweet 16 hump. Like it or not (and I don't), Memphis is ahead of us right now.
murrayvol writes:
Pitino wouldn't return to Kentucky unless they offered him Keeneland and that's not doable.
murrayvol writes:
Billy's no longer their first choice.
murrayvol writes:
It could've been worse....much worse.
murrayvol writes:
UK's got some money.....if he's their pick.
murrayvol writes:
Cat, I agree w/most of your post including an "adjustment" of the buyout.
I just don't see Donovan in Lexington. Not a good fit for dramatically different reasons than BG. JMO
johnlg00#206211 writes:
Thanks for the info, Cat. I would be surprised if Donovan went to UK, but I'll take your word for now. I think it would be great for UK to get him, but I thought Billy D. had it made at UF--big money, some good returning players, a good class coming in, left-over capital from his two recent NCs. Besides, UK will represent an almost complete rebuilding job if Patterson and Meeks go pro, and I would be amazed if they didn't. No doubt UK will open the vault for him, so I guess he will become the highest-paid coach in college bball history. Wasn't he making $4mil/yr at UF?
murrayvol writes:
He'll be back. Has to develop some new posting points.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
I don't! I hope he is off licking his wounds somewhere in Tigger Dream-land, but no doubt he will resurface at some point to remind us that UM is still better than we are. The worst of it is that he would still be right, in terms of NCAA tourney success. I hope our players were paying attention to how HARD Mizzou was playing! They have to know they displayed that level of ferocity in only the briefest of spurts this past season.
ZALWEED writes:
The next KY coach will get a lot of money regardless of who it is. Billy G is getting $6 million to walk...money is not going to be an issue.
UKblue02 writes:
Instead of just giving the new coach all money, they might give him a hoseshoe, and he can redeem it after he is signed, and that horseshoe just might belong to a Ky Derby horse :)
UKblue02 writes:
Horseshoe not hoseshoe, oops
Colliervol writes:
Exactly. It's a rivalry in their minds only. Vol Nation could care less if we ever play them again in any sport. Certainly makes no difference to me.
Colliervol writes:
Brownsville, you know that "elite" thing is just part of the scam that Calipari has been running for years. How can one be considered "elite" if you've NEVER won even ONE title? Somehow, I think North Carolina, KY, Duke, UCLA, Kansas, etc would disagree with that definition, don't you?
Certainly, we haven't done anything either in basketball but I don't believe any of us ever claimed that UT basketball was "elite". Far from it. UT fans are not that delusional nor are we that gullible. We are just happy to have progressed this far, this fast since the days of Buzz. (As I recall, it took Calipari 4 years to win his first NCAA tournament game, much less get to the Sweet 16. Memphis fans conveniently like to forget that fact.)
UKblue02 writes:
Thanks you, i agree BG might be a good coach but i held my breath every time some media person interviewed him. Hopefully if BD does replace him we can get him out of the position of being BP's female dog (didn't want to be censored) LOL
huntined#565710 writes:
Just reported he is gone..I don't think 2 years was enough for him..Who will they get SCRATCH
AllVol07 writes:
ESPN.com just announced that there will be a press conference at 4:30pm today to make it official
Agee_Vols_82 writes:
Gillespie is out, via ESPN Text
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