It's Official - Gillispie is Out

Per ESPN, Billy Gillispie is done at Kentucky.

The general feeling, according to what I've seen on A Sea of Blue and elsewhere, this was a doomed partnership from the beginning. It wasn't one specific thing, but a flood of little ones that led to the split up.

It seemed like a strange hire to me then, as though UK was jumping for the flavor of the week. I had heard nothing of Gillispie before he and Acie Law IV went on a run in the tournament. For that matter, I had heard more buzz about the guy who replaced Billy Clyde at A&M, then-Wichita State head coach Mark Turgeon, than the new head Cat.

As I have said earlier today, I believe none of the rumors that Billy Donovan will go to Lexington.

I've seen two other big names thrown around as well. Tom Izzo seems like a stretch; if I was betting, I'd say he retires a Spartan. John Calipari is a more plausible name to me, but he's having no trouble raking in the recruits (and cash) at Memphis. He can be a national contender there and still get to play the easiest motivation card there is ("we get no respect 'cause we're in CUSA!") every year.

If I'm right, that means UK is back to where it was in '07: spurned by its big targets and looking for an up-and-comer. Let's hope for everyone's sake they do a better job at vetting candidates this time around.

UPDATE

The local Fox affiliate in Orlando says a source close to the UK athletics office told them that Donvan to Kentucky is a done deal. That report appears to have been rather hastily put together considering the URL says "source_donovan_leaving_UCF." Now that would be big news.

Anyway, UF told the St. Pete Times (a more reliable outlet, if you ask me) that Donovan was in Gainesville yesterday and not on a private plane to Lexington. In addition, William Donovan, Sr. says his son is at his vacation home near St. Augustine and not in Kentucky today.

If 2007 is any indication, this is far from over.