A&m Coach To Move To Kentucky Nfm

[OldTimer]

nfm

[Eagle-96]

nfm

He was there for 2 or 3 seasons. Wow, he agrees to an extension last weekend and then leaves today. Classy.

Edited April 6, 2007 by Eagle-96

[good_ken]

He was there for 2 or 3 seasons. Wow, he agrees to an extension last weekend and then leaves today. Classy.

Its kinda ironic: TAMU got "Franned."

[Ibleedgreen]

It was written into Dennis Franchione's contract that he would always be the highest paid coach at A&M; so, last week when they offered Gillispie the extension they offered Franchione $!.00 more than they were offering Gillispie.

[greenminer]

He was there for 2 or 3 seasons. Wow, he agrees to an extension last weekend and then leaves today. Classy.

I think he did the same thing at UTEP: agreed to a contract extension but didn't sign it. I don't particularly care, but if you visit the UTEP board there is absolutely no mercy shown on that man. It'll be interesting to see how Aggieland reacts.

[NT80]

Source: Gillispie to coach Ky. Wildcats

By JEFFREY McMURRAY, Associated Press Writer

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Kentucky's restless two weeks is over. The Wildcats have a new coach in Billy Gillispie, who will try to restore some of the luster to college basketball's winningest school.

Gillispie was hired as Kentucky's sixth coach in the last 76 years on Friday, a person familiar with the search process told The Associated Press. The former Texas A&M coach will replace Tubby Smith, who spent a decade in the glare of the sport's brightest spotlight before bolting to Minnesota.

Gillispie, who led the Aggies to the NCAA tournament's round of 16 this year for the first time since 1980, was to be introduced at an afternoon pep rally at Memorial Coliseum followed by a news conference, said the person familiar with the search, speaking on condition of anonymity pending an official announcement.

The Wildcats turned to Gillispie after another Billy — Florida's Billy Donovan — decided Thursday to stay with the Gators. Texas' Rick Barnes also indicated Thursday he wasn't interested in the job, but it was never formally offered to any candidate other than Gillispie.

Gillispie replaces Smith, who left the Wildcats after 10 seasons to take the head coaching job in Minnesota last month, despite having four years left on his contract.

Gillispie is 100-58 in five seasons as a coach. He spent the last three years with the Aggies, molding the longtime also-ran into a Big 12 power. Texas A&M went 27-7 this season.

His success with the Aggies made Gillispie a hot commodity. He was approached by Arkansas after Stan Heath was fired, but decided to stay with the Aggies, agreeing to a new contract worth $1.75 million that would have made him among the Big 12's highest-paid coaches.

The 47-year-old coach, however, never signed the deal and he didn't hesitate when Kentucky came calling. Texas A&M athletic director Bill Byrne gave Barnhart permission to speak to Gillispie on Thursday night, and by Friday morning the job was his.

Gillispie was an assistant under Bill Self at Tulsa and Illinois before coaching UTEP in 2002. He coached the Miners for two seasons, surviving a 6-24 season in 2002-03, then leading the Miners to a 24-8 record the next year.

[ColoradoEagle]

The guy is a great coach, but obviously trash. How long will he be at Kentucky before some ACC, Big East, or NBA team comes calling? I would've gone with Mark Few.

[CMJ]

Agreed....I think 4 years before he's in the NBA.

[El Paso Eagle]

I think he did the same thing at UTEP: agreed to a contract extension but didn't sign it. I don't particularly care, but if you visit the UTEP board there is absolutely no mercy shown on that man. It'll be interesting to see how Aggieland reacts.

At UTEP he never even signed his original contract

[Black Scholes]

The guy is a great coach, but obviously trash. How long will he be at Kentucky before some ACC, Big East, or NBA team comes calling? I would've gone with Mark Few.

The guy is a great coach, and Kentucky is possibly the ultimate college BB coaching job. There's nothing wrong with him furthing his career anymore than you or I furthering our career.

I say good for him and God Bless him.

[The Jason]

The guy is a great coach, and Kentucky is possibly the ultimate college BB coaching job. There's nothing wrong with him furthing his career anymore than you or I furthering our career.

I say good for him and God Bless him.

I agree with you. I think he is an outstanding coach and showed how good he was by getting that A&M team as far as he did. It was just a few years ago and A&M couldn't win a game in Big 12. Now one of the top 5 basketball schools in the country comes calling?? Come on, anyone would take that deal.

Plus, he's a good ol' texas boy. I am just glad he's going to school where I can actually root for him.

[NT80]

He said in past interviews he enjoys the re-building of programs, not maintaining them. All his other past coaching jobs he's left after bringing them a year or two of sustained success.

[drex]

Should be interesting to see the fate of A&M basketball now that Gillispie has left. Was their recent success just a flash in the pan, or will the Aggies be smart enough to find a suitable replacement.

[Ibleedgreen]

Typo....should have read that they offered Franchione $1.00 more than Gillispie, per year.

[ColoradoEagle]

The guy is a great coach, and Kentucky is possibly the ultimate college BB coaching job. There's nothing wrong with him furthing his career anymore than you or I furthering our career.

No one's denying that it's a great opportunity, but if I were UK, I wouldn't replace a 10 year coach with a fly by night like Gillispie.

[Quoner]

Better extend Jones now....

[NM Green]

If that fly by night gets you organized and deep into the tourney where you feel you belong - then the risk will pay off.

Greater the risk greater the reward. Gillespie took on the challenge of A&M and now has one of the best jobs in college basketball - talk about a rise.

Good for him!

GMG

A&M now has the opportunity to commit to bball and bring in another winner.

[DeepGreen]

Should be interesting to see the fate of A&M basketball now that Gillispie has left. Was their recent success just a flash in the pan, or will the Aggies be smart enough to find a suitable replacement.

There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth in aggieland. Just to tell you how big basketball is in aggieland the past few years, my sister and brother-in-law, typical die-hard football fans for the past hundred years, actually had season tickets for basketball this past season. This is unheard of! Believe me, aggie$ like to win and they will find a suitable replacement. Maybe dig into their feeder campus in Corpus Christi and bring in Ronnie Arrow?

[CMJ]

I've also read they're interested in Arrow...among others.

[runt96]

Just keep those grubby maroon paws off of our JJ