The news today in my part of the country surrounds the coaching situation at the University of Kentucky. The school with the most wins in college basketball history has seen its share of turmoil in the last few years. The Tubby Smith era ended with mixed results and ushered in the era of
Billy Gillispie. After two less than spectacular seasons on the bench for the Wildcats, Gillispie has found himself on the hot seat and the Wildcats may be making another coaching change after only two years.
There was a circus here two years ago when it was all but confirmed by many sources that Billy Donovan had accepted the UK job and would be leaving the Florida Gators after winning back-to-back National Championships. Donovan decided to remain at Florida (with a quick change of heart with the Orlando Magic) and Kentucky turned to Billy Gillispie.
Rumors have been swirling for weeks about Gillispie's future with Kentucky. Last night WHAS 11 in Louisville reported that Gillispie had indeed been let go as head coach. This has led to the message boards facing server crashes today as everyone speculates on who the new coach will be. Many beleive that Billy Donovan will make up for his change of heart two years ago and accept
the job this time around. There have been all kinds of sources quoted and sightings made of Billy D. in Lexington. He certainly seems to be the frontrunner, if everything plays out the way it looks like it might. We've seen this before, so nothing is for sure until UK announces it. Billy Donovan has the personality and style to succeed in the position, so he would be a good choice.
There have also been rumors today that the coach may end up being former UK fan favorite Travis Ford. Travis has had great success at Eastern Kentucky, UMass and Oklahoma State, leading the Cowboys into the NCAA tournament this year. He has the Kentucky roots everyone desires, but there are questions if he would be ready for the pressure cooker that is the UK head coaching job. Travis Ford would be another good choice, he has had success and knows what it means to be a Kentucky Wildcat.
Of course, none of this means anything until some official word comes down today. There is no fan base that adores their team more than the fans of the Kentucky Wildcats. Sometimes that fandom even borders on the insane, but the people of Kentucky love their Wildcats. So, sit back and watch this Friday unfold, it should be interesting. No matter what, the "design" of the Kentucky team is likely to undergo some changes today!
Updated note 3/30:
As the weekend has progressed, it looks as if a name making the rounds as a potential candidate for the UK job is John Calipari. Billy Donovan has apparently said he has no interest in the job again so speculation has shifted to Coach Calipari. News has been leaking
from both sides that seem to indicate mutual interest. So, the next coach of the Cats might be Mr. Calipari. If so, it would certainly vault the
Wildcats right back into the national equation. We will see, it should be an interesting week in the Bluegrass State
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