Don’t hire his lawyer

Poor Billy Gillespie. Today, he saw his two-year run as head coach of the Kentucky men’s basketball team end with an unceremonious firing, made worse by the athletic director crucifying him in a press conference.

This wasn’t your typical “we wish Billy well in what he does…”  This was about as harsh as you can get:

“There is a clear difference in how the rules and responsibilities of overseeing the program are viewed,” Barnhart said. “It is a gap that I do not believe can be solved just by winning games. It is a philosophical disparity that I do not think can be repaired when the chemistry is just not right.”

But that’s not the insult. No, the insult came thanks to when he couldn’t come to terms with Kentucky on anything other than a handhake agreement and a “memorandum of understanding.” Instead of a seven-year deal and a $6 million buyout, the university views it as a year-to-year deal. As for the buyout, well:

“Suffice it to say it will be less than that,” Barnhart said.

Billy Gillespie is a good coach, who will get a chance again somewhere else. Suffice to say, he’ll have a different agent.