John Clay's Sidelines

AP Photo/Ed Reinke

Big Blue Links for Saturday starts with Herald-Leader coverage of Friday’s events:

• Jerry Tipton and Ryan Alessi report on the firing of Billy Gillispie.
• My column saying that this was the right move at the right time.
• Mark Story’s column on how Mitch Barnhart’s task at hand.
• Chip Cosby writes on the national reaction.
• Mike Fields reports that recruits will wait-and-see.
• Jennifer Smith and Jerry Tipton write that players just want some rest.
• Jim Warren gets the UK fan reaction to the Gillispie ouster.
• Ryan Alessi and Valarie Honeycutt Spears report that UK intends to settle for less than the $6 million buyout.
• Alessi and Tipton report that Mike Pratt will be part of search team.
• Gillispie timeline.
• Press conference video.
• Billy Gillispie in pictures.

Elsewhere:

• Jodie Meeks tells Metz Camfield of the Kentucky Kernel he thinks firing “was a good decision.”
• Andrea Cohen of the Oklahoman reports that UK has not asked for permission to speak with Travis Ford.
• Bill Haisten of the Tulsa World writes on Ford rumors with Kentucky.
• Brandon Chatmon of the Oklahoman quotes Daniel Orton’s father as saying they have not decided yet about coming to Kentucky.
• Larry Vaught of the Danville Advocate-Messenger writes that it was demeanor that got Gillispie in the end.
• Vaught talks to Orestes Meeks, who doesn’t seem a Gillispie fan.
• Kevin Brockway of the Gainesville Sun reports that Billy Donovan says he’s not interested in UK job.
• Rick Bozich of the Courier-Journal writes that this is Barnhart’s pivotal decision.

Continue reading ‘BBL: Gillispie dismissal links’

As Billy Gillispie himself said Friday after UK’s 67-58 loss to LSU, “I got married one time, that honeymoon didn’t last long either.”

The honeymoon is long over for the Kentucky coach. That’s what happens when your team goes in the record book as the first in 17 years not to make the NCAA Tournament. That’s what happens when you refuse to sign your contract, rub a few people the wrong way, and have a different view of your job descripton than does your athletics director, and maybe your president. In other words, your bosses.

So what now?

Something will happen, and maybe soon. Don’t be surprised if that year-end meeting is pushed up on Dr. Lee Todd’s calendar. The guess here is that the school will act quickly, and there are plenty that believe a decision has already been made, and they know where it’s headed. I had an extended discussion with Mitch Barnhart on Thursday — a good bit of it about my column that morning — and believe me he is keenly aware of how the fans feel. (So, too, Dr. Todd.) And Barnhart has solid beliefs about the job expectations both on and off the court. We can second-guess the way the Gillispie hire was done, and I have, but I do think Mitch gets the importance of the position and the gravity of the situation. It’s a tough choice either way. Is two years long enough to judge a coach? But if things aren’t going well, on a number of fronts, do you risk a third?

Back to the marriage analogy. If it’s been a rocky two years, you ask yourself how much do you want to to make this work? Is it worth saving? Will things improve? Or is it best to admit the mistake, correct it, and move on, before there are kids and a mortgage and all kinds of other complications? Is it best to cut your ties and get on with your life?

Continue reading ‘Now that the honeymoon is over’