Billy Gillispie fired!!

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4021232

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Billy Gillispie thought winning at Kentucky would be enough, that adding a Final Four banner to the rafters at Rupp Arena would endear him to one of college basketball's most ardent fan bases more than any handshake, autograph or toothy grin ever could.

He won, but not enough. He shook hands, but not enough.

After just two years, Kentucky had had enough.


The school fired Gillispie on Friday, citing philosophical differences between the hard-scrabble coach and an administration that views its head coaching position as more than just another job.

"There is a clear gap in how the rules and responsibilities overseeing the program are viewed," said athletic director Mitch Barnhart. "It is a gap I do not believe can be solved by just winning games."

Losing too many games during Gillispie's brief two-year tenure certainly didn't help.

The Wildcats went 40-27 under Gillispie, including a 22-14 mark this year that tied for the second-most in the program's 106-year history and forced them to miss the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1991.

After enduring a rocky 18-13 season in 2007-08, the Wildcats appeared to have turned a corner two months ago.

Kentucky roared to a 5-0 start in the Southeastern Conference behind the play of star Jodie Meeks, who poured in a school-record 54 points in a victory over Tennessee in January.

Things started to unravel shortly thereafter. Kentucky dropped eight of its final 11 regular season games, including a deflating home loss to woeful Georgia on Senior Night. The Wildcats couldn't make it out of the SEC tournament quarterfinals, relegating them to the National Invitation Tournament for the first time in 30 years.

The Wildcats fought valiantly in the NIT, edging UNLV at Memorial Coliseum, the same place where a pep rally was held on the day of Gillispie's hiring two years ago. A victory at Creighton followed, and Kentucky hung tough with Notre Dame until the final moments.