Billy Gillispie has not done enough to keep his job in Lexington. As much as I hate Kentucky Basketball, the Cats should never suck this bad. Just like the Boston Celtics, Montreal Canadiens and New York Yankees, the coach of the Wildcats should be a competent person who wins. Gillispie has demonstrated neither.
The nearly foregone conclusion is that he hasn't passed UK's judgment with flying colors, that President Lee T. Todd Jr. and Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart will announce soon that a change is being made, that a 40-27 record and a differing interpretation of job description will cause the program to move in a different direction.
We're assuming Gillispie will follow Tyrone Willingham, Cam Cameron and Joe Girardi (trust me, that guy is overmatched too) into the sunset. If that is the case, it will take about 30 seconds for a Bluegrass booster to start throwing money in the general direction of Gainesville. Kentucky wanted Billy Donovan last time and were turned away. They owe it to their fans to at least try again. Just like Florida owed it to their fans when they looked at Bob Stoops before getting Ron Zook and Urban Meyer. Also, it seems the only people not affected by the recession are Bull Gators. I assume Kentucky people of comparable wealth still have extra cash lying around, as well. After a NIT season, Kentucky could use some of their state stimulus money to pay for a coach, too.
The thing is Donovan has already turned his back on a NBA job two hours from his family. Why would he leave Gainesville for Lexington? However, stranger things have happened. Like a guy signs a contract, has a press conference, then calls their old boss to not hire someone new because they want their old job back. We assume Donovan will stay in Gainesville, especially when his return inspired this line.
The reality, according to sources, is that Donovan isn't scared of coaching in the NBA, but he simply realized that he loves the University of Florida.
To which we wrote;
Only Florida alumni, fans, and students can truly understand what this means. The three of us who started this site all know that feeling. There is something special about Gainesville and UF that could never be accurately judged. It's why 80 year old men tailgate for the Orange and Blue Game and why Spurrier still refers to he and UF as "we". Like my brother and I, the Donovan's went from Rockville Centre, NY to Gainesville. And it looks like we'll all be here for a long time.
Donovan will have to keep proving that until the day he retires from coaching.