Correct decision: Former coach, player agree with Gillispie’s release
March 27, 2009 by Bobby Reagan · 5 Comments
It may not have been enough time to get the job done, but at this point, something had to give.
Former UK head coach Joe B. Hall and former player Kenny Walker both agreed with the decision to not bring back Billy Gillispie as head coach. However, both said they could see either side of the argument.
“It’s unfortunate,†Walker said. “I don’t agree that two years is enough time to coach, but the administration saw they needed a change and did it.â€
Both also agreed with Barnhart’s statements of needing a coach who understands the importance of the job along with everything that comes with it.
Walker said being the head coach at UK makes you more famous than UK’s president, as well as the governor of the state. Hall, who served that position from 1973-1985 and won an NCAA Championship in 1978, said in order to be successful — and survive — in Lexington, the next coach needs to fully understand what it means to be the UK head coach.
“It is important to understand what the coaching job at UK entails for two reasons,†Hall said. “One, in order to survive you have to understand what the program is, and two, you have to take the responsibility in bringing up the program. It’s all part of the job.â€
Part of understanding the program is knowing what to expect from the fan base, which Hall calls protectors of the program. He said while UK has one of the best fan bases in the country, they are also demanding and want to win right away.
“It is just an overwhelming amount of pressure, even more so than when I was coach here,†Hall said. “It’s very hard to keep everyone happy all the time.â€
One of the things that did not keep Big Blue Nation happy during Gillispie’s tenure was his obvious strain with the media. Walker said the next coach has to be ready to shake hands and take pictures with everyone.
Hall said he could never really analyze what Gillispie did from a coaching standpoint, but knew he was Coach of the Year in the Big 12 and Co-Coach of the Year in the Southeastern Conference, believes whoever takes over next year just needs to know the expectations to make the fans happy.
“The UK program is built on good foundation with a tremendous tradition,†Hall said. “We have the prestige to bring in the top recruits. But we also have the prestige that the fans know and you have to know what their expectations are.â€
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the most important parts of this article:
1.) two years is not enough time
2.) “needing a coach who understands the importance of the job along with everything that comes with it.”
Is everyone in your state retarded? Everyone keeps saying the coach “needs to understand the importance of the job” over and over again, but never explains what – aside from winning, and having good media relations – that exactly implies. Is there some kind of secret that the rest of the country doesn’t know about? LIke did he do something morally reprehensible, or get convicted of a crime (e.g., DWI) or something? What is everyone talking everyone talking when they say he failed to understand the importance of the job? Because honestly, it just sounds like what you’re all REALLY complaining about is his record. If that’s the case, just be honest about it – quit using nebulous statements like “he failed to understand the university” to explain the decision. It makes you either look dishonest or else dumb.
Look people, BCG in his news conference just yesterday was asked if he would had any regrets or do anything different. He said this, “He regretted that they didn’t win more, other than that no regrets, he would do it all the same.” He still does not get it. people! It was not about the win-loss record in his 2 years here at UK. It was about the things he wasn’t doing right. He wasn’t being a part of this community. He wasn’t media friendly until his last news conference. Most of the time, he was deemed aloof and arrogant in nature. There is no telling how he treated his players and assistant coaches??? UK saw they had a major problem and they stepped up to the line and sank those clutch winning free throws.