Barnhart: “This is not a place I thought we would be in”

 

 

The chemistry just wasn’t right.

That was what UK Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart said about UK and former men’s basketball head coach Billy Gillispie, who will not be brought back after two years in Lexington.

“This is not a place I thought we would be in or where I want to be,” Barnhart said during a Friday news conference. “I’d like to thank Coach Gillispie and his staff for their two years here, but we have decided not to bring him back.”

During Barnhart’s opening comments he talked about the tradition of UK and what the program meant to the fan base — saying it is something that determines when weddings are held. Barnhart took full responsibility for getting UK back to that.

“It’s my responsibility and I don’t regret hiring Billy to be the basketball coach,” Barnhart said. “He’s a good basketball coach, but sometimes it’s just not the right fit and that’s my responsibility.”

The correct piece to the puzzle — the successor to Gillispie — has not been decided on, Barnhart said. He does not expect to host any interviews the next 72 hours but did say the search process will begin this weekend.

The heaviest rumor on the Internet has been Florida’s head coach Billy Donovan accepting the job. Donovan was an assistant coach for the Cats from 1989-94 under Rick Pitino and was a candidate for UK’s job two years ago. However, Donovan released a statement saying he was not interested in leaving Florida for any job.

“In response to the rumors circulating about my interest in other jobs, I wanted to address this as quickly as possible. I am committed to the University of Florida and look forward to continuing to build our program here,” Donovan said in a statement.

Gillispie went 40-27 during his two years at UK, but Barnhart and UK President Lee Todd said it was more than just wins and losses that went into the release of Gillispie. To them, the most important part was realizing UK isn’t just another job and how special it is to coach at UK.

“There was a lack of understanding that this job is more than games and recruiting,” Todd said. “You have to be an ambassador to this program and university.”

While acknowledging the criticism he has faced over the last couple of months Barnhart also talked about his responsibility to return UK to a national championship caliber.

“Coach Rupp started something that is now bigger than any one person. Coaches, players and administrators get the privilege of serving this program simply as caretakers for a brief moment in its history,” Barnhart said. “It is my responsibility to ensure that the University of Kentucky continues to be a special place in the hearts and minds of our fans across the nation, and that the right pieces are in place to return the basketball program to a championship level and continue those proud traditions of success.”

Barnhart believed he made the right decision to return UK to a championship level two years ago and said he does not regret hiring Gillispie as head coach — despite not making the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1991.

While trying to find the next head coach, Barnhart and Todd also expect to meet soon with Gillispie’s lawyers to talk about a settlement program. While it was rumored to be in the six million dollar range, Todd said he expects the settlement to be less.

“We’ll be in contact with Billy’s legal counsel to agree on a settlement,” Todd said. “I expect it to be less than six million dollars because the memorandum is a one-year contract.”

Related stories:

Barnhart didn’t see this coming

Gillispie out as head coach

Timeline of Gillispie’s career

Orton and current players unsure of their future

Possible Gillispie replacements