Despite a internet report that he had been fired, Billy Gillispie is still the head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats.
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.
In response to an Internet report Gillispie is going to be let go, the University of Kentucky issued the following statement Thursday night: “UK men’s basketball coach Billy Gillispie has not been fired. There have been no meetings between Gillispie and UK officials today, and there is no scheduled press conference for tomorrow.”
When asked after the loss to Notre Dame if he expected to be back, Gillispie said the decision wasn’t up to him.
“You’re asking the wrong guy,” he said. “All I know is to go to work, recruit, coach and that’s what I did, that’s what I’ve done and that’s what I’ll continue to do.”
The folks at Kentucky are considering two questions:
1) How good of a coach is Billy Gillispie?
2) Can we get anyone better?
It used to be that a coach would have three or four years to guide a program, but in this day and age when the top players are only stopping at the college level for one or two seasons, the leash seems to be a lot shorter. Two years ago, Kentucky thought so much of Gillispie that they signed him to a seven-year deal. UK fans and boosters are notoriously fickle about their team, but if you feel strongly enough about guy to sign him for seven years, it’s hard to justify letting him go after a 22-win season. Granted, his team lost 14 games this season, but still.
I’m not a big fan of his after seeing how he treated a sideline reporter that reportedly rebuked his advances, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to understand why a school would fire a guy after two seasons of his seven-year deal. Unless, of course, they’re firing him for being a jerk to sideline reports. Then I understand completely.
3:31 PM ET Update: It’s official — Gillispie has been fired.
