UPDATE: According to the Anderson County News, Billy Gillispie was arraigned in Anderson County District Court at 8:30 a.m. via teleconference from the Franklin County Regional Jail.  He pleaded not guilty. A formal court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 5.

Former UK basketball head coach Billy Gillispie was arrested early Thursday morning and charged with drunken driving after Lawrenceburg, Ky., police  found Gillispie’s car speeding and weaving on a rural highway.

Gillispie and a passenger, Charles O’Connor, were arrested at 2:47 a.m. and taken to Franklin County Regional Jail, according to the police report. O’Connor was charged with public intoxication. Gillispie told police he and the passenger were returning from a golfing trip. Gillispie was later released Thursday morning on his own recognizance.

“On August 27th, 2009 at approximately 0210 hours, the City of Lawrenceburg Police Department received a report of a vehicle traveling in an erratic manner, north bound on US 127,” Lawrenceburg police said in a news release. “Officers responded to the report and observed a vehicle matching the description contained in the report, speeding and weaving on north bound US 127.”

A white 2009 Mercedes 300 Series with Texas license plates was stopped, and after a field investigation, Gillispie and his passenger were taken into custody. The vehicle was traveling 63 miles per hour in a 45-miles-per-hour zone and was moving erratically.

The police report states Gillispie first said his proof of insurance was in his golf bag, but he had difficulty exiting the car and appeared confused while opening the trunk. Gillispie then tried to open the glove compartment, but had difficulty doing that as well.

The officer detected “a strong fruity smell coming from his person (possibly wine),” with “red glassy eyes and slow slurred speech.” Gillispie refused a preliminary breath test and a standardized field sobriety test, saying he had been golfing all day and his movements were impaired because he had feet and balance problems.

This is the third time Gillispie has been arrested on alcohol-related driving charges, but he has never been convicted of drunken driving. On the first occasion, the charge was dismissed. On the second occasion, Gillispie pleaded guilty to reckless driving, a lesser charge.

Gillispie is currently involved in a legal battle with UK, seeking money he says is owed to him in his contract. UK has argued it was never operating under a formal contract with Gillispie. The two parties are believed to be attempting to negotiate a settlement. Gillispie says the school owes him about $6 million, which was the amount mentioned in his Memorandum of Understanding.

Gillispie’s lawyer in the contract proceedings did not return messages by press time.

Gillispie compiled a 40-27 record in two years of coaching the Cats. He was named co-Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year in 2007 but the Cats missed the NCAA Tournament in 2008 for the first time since 1991 and Gillispie was fired on March 27.