Did Billy Gillespie really make the right move going to UK?

[Icky3284]

NOS knows I thought it was a bad move from the start for Billy G to leave A&M for UK (and this is coming from a DIE HARD Longhorn fan) and I will give you my reasons why.

1.  At UK if he does great, its expected and will be just another coach who will never be A. Rupp.  At A&M he would have been the Aggie version of A. Rupp with the court being named after him.

2.  Billy G was known to hang out at WestGate after games drinking his Coors Light at the bars with the fans and that was Win or Lose.  At UK that would and could NEVER happen for numerous reasons, but mainly because their fans or CRAZY!!!!!  I say this just to state that the guy is simple man, that wants to live a normal life, and at UK you get anything but that.

3.  At A&M there would NEVER EVER be any pressure on him because was BASKETBALL GOD that put their Univ back on the map, and at UK, well we see whats happening in Lexington.

4.  $$$$  wouldn't have been an issue so in most cases where that is a sticking point, in this situation it made no difference.

and most importantly

5.  He was a legend in the HS coaching ranks being that he rose from Texas High School basketball coach to arguably the 2nd (and in some eyes the best) best job in the State of Texas.  So he was getting the majority of the big recruits from the state, and basically kicking Rick Barnes butt in the process.  As a Texas fan it was really getting frustrating.

I know many says hind sight is 20/20 but I truely thought the deck was stacked against Bill G from the jump.  Nos, I told you when he took the job, and I will tell you again, "Remember the grass isn't always greener on the other side."

[Guest DickVitale]

Yeah but as a competitor, in this business, sometimes you HAVE to test the waters...If he passed up the opportunity to be the Kentucky head coach, he would have been wondering what might have been..He WAS the man in aggieland though...

[Icky3284]

DV, I get that part, and totally understand and repect that, BUT.....

I just think Billy G should have taken a page out of Mark Fue's (Gonzaga coach) book and put his stamp on the Aggie program,  but different strokes for different folks.

And I'll add this, I know athletics and even COACHING is to a large extent all about ego's and confidence, but in todays game the $$$ has gotten to be so great that its has 2 become more about the business side of it than the before mentioned confidence. 

[Anafanatic]

NOS knows I thought it was a bad move from the start for Billy G to leave A&M for UK (and this is coming from a DIE HARD Longhorn fan) and I will give you my reasons why.

1.  At UK if he does great, its expected and will be just another coach who will never be A. Rupp.  At A&M he would have been the Aggie version of A. Rupp with the court being named after him.

2.  Billy G was known to hang out at WestGate after games drinking his Coors Light at the bars with the fans and that was Win or Lose.  At UK that would and could NEVER happen for numerous reasons, but mainly because their fans or CRAZY!!!!!  I say this just to state that the guy is simple man, that wants to live a normal life, and at UK you get anything but that.

3.  At A&M there would NEVER EVER be any pressure on him because was BASKETBALL GOD that put their Univ back on the map, and at UK, well we see whats happening in Lexington.

4.  $$$$  wouldn't have been an issue so in most cases where that is a sticking point, in this situation it made no difference.

and most importantly

5.  He was a legend in the HS coaching ranks being that he rose from Texas High School basketball coach to arguably the 2nd (and in some eyes the best) best job in the State of Texas.  So he was getting the majority of the big recruits from the state, and basically kicking Rick Barnes butt in the process.  As a Texas fan it was really getting frustrating.

I know many says hind sight is 20/20 but I truely thought the deck was stacked against Bill G from the jump.  Nos, I told you when he took the job, and I will tell you again, "Remember the grass isn't always greener on the other side."

"The grass is always greener on the septic tank!" 

[Guest aschrapps]

NOS knows I thought it was a bad move from the start for Billy G to leave A&M for UK (and this is coming from a DIE HARD Longhorn fan) and I will give you my reasons why.

1.  At UK if he does great, its expected and will be just another coach who will never be A. Rupp.  At A&M he would have been the Aggie version of A. Rupp with the court being named after him.

2.  Billy G was known to hang out at WestGate after games drinking his Coors Light at the bars with the fans and that was Win or Lose.  At UK that would and could NEVER happen for numerous reasons, but mainly because their fans or CRAZY!!!!!  I say this just to state that the guy is simple man, that wants to live a normal life, and at UK you get anything but that.

3.  At A&M there would NEVER EVER be any pressure on him because was BASKETBALL GOD that put their Univ back on the map, and at UK, well we see whats happening in Lexington.

4.  $$$$  wouldn't have been an issue so in most cases where that is a sticking point, in this situation it made no difference.

and most importantly

5.  He was a legend in the HS coaching ranks being that he rose from Texas High School basketball coach to arguably the 2nd (and in some eyes the best) best job in the State of Texas.  So he was getting the majority of the big recruits from the state, and basically kicking Rick Barnes butt in the process.  As a Texas fan it was really getting frustrating.

I know many says hind sight is 20/20 but I truely thought the deck was stacked against Bill G from the jump.  Nos, I told you when he took the job, and I will tell you again, "Remember the grass isn't always greener on the other side."

1. There will never be another Adolph Rupp, There are only a handful of coaches like that (Coach K, Coach Knight, Dean Smith) so there will never be an Adolph Rupp of A&M and thats not an insult to a&M

2. Not many coaches at the d 1 level live normal lives lol.

3. Billy has to be a competitor to get to where he is so im sure he thrives on pressure as most competitors do.

4. A&M could never offer the money that kentucky could.

5. Im sorry but the Aggie job is not the best job in the state of texas. Also Texas A&M has only has one basketball recruiting class ranked and that was 22 since 2003. Texas has been in the top ten twice in that same time period.

[Icky3284]

NOS knows I thought it was a bad move from the start for Billy G to leave A&M for UK (and this is coming from a DIE HARD Longhorn fan) and I will give you my reasons why.

1.  At UK if he does great, its expected and will be just another coach who will never be A. Rupp.  At A&M he would have been the Aggie version of A. Rupp with the court being named after him.

2.  Billy G was known to hang out at WestGate after games drinking his Coors Light at the bars with the fans and that was Win or Lose.  At UK that would and could NEVER happen for numerous reasons, but mainly because their fans or CRAZY!!!!!  I say this just to state that the guy is simple man, that wants to live a normal life, and at UK you get anything but that.

3.  At A&M there would NEVER EVER be any pressure on him because was BASKETBALL GOD that put their Univ back on the map, and at UK, well we see whats happening in Lexington.

4.  $$$$  wouldn't have been an issue so in most cases where that is a sticking point, in this situation it made no difference.

and most importantly

5.  He was a legend in the HS coaching ranks being that he rose from Texas High School basketball coach to arguably the 2nd (and in some eyes the best) best job in the State of Texas.  So he was getting the majority of the big recruits from the state, and basically kicking Rick Barnes butt in the process.  As a Texas fan it was really getting frustrating.

I know many says hind sight is 20/20 but I truely thought the deck was stacked against Bill G from the jump.  Nos, I told you when he took the job, and I will tell you again, "Remember the grass isn't always greener on the other side."

1. There will never be another Adolph Rupp, There are only a handful of coaches like that (Coach K, Coach Knight, Dean Smith) so there will never be an Adolph Rupp of A&M and thats not an insult to a&M

2. Not many coaches at the d 1 level live normal lives lol.

3. Billy has to be a competitor to get to where he is so im sure he thrives on pressure as most competitors do.

4. A&M could never offer the money that kentucky could.

5. Im sorry but the Aggie job is not the best job in the state of texas. Also Texas A&M has only has one basketball recruiting class ranked and that was 22 since 2003. Texas has been in the top ten twice in that same time period.

The A. Rupp comment was directed at saying Billy G would have been a legend at his respected school like the former UK coach.  I don't know if you got the memo, but A&M hasn't exactly been a great basketball school in years past, so anything good done in CS, is deemed as GREAT.  So even though he may not be as good as A. Rupp in your eyes, in some Aggie fans, he would have been THEIR modern day A. Rupp. 

I get the competitor comment, but like I said earlier.  Todays $$$ has made it much more business than ego.

Im a Longhorn fan so of course I think A&M is a 2nd rate job, but he was quickly making the Aggies a very nice program to play ball at.  I mean getting D'Andre Jordan was proof he was putting A&M on the national recruiting map.  So to act like the Aggies weren't relevant isn't really fair. 

[PoppaBearstarr]

NOS knows I thought it was a bad move from the start for Billy G to leave A&M for UK (and this is coming from a DIE HARD Longhorn fan) and I will give you my reasons why.

1.  At UK if he does great, its expected and will be just another coach who will never be A. Rupp.  At A&M he would have been the Aggie version of A. Rupp with the court being named after him.

2.  Billy G was known to hang out at WestGate after games drinking his Coors Light at the bars with the fans and that was Win or Lose.  At UK that would and could NEVER happen for numerous reasons, but mainly because their fans or CRAZY!!!!!  I say this just to state that the guy is simple man, that wants to live a normal life, and at UK you get anything but that.

3.  At A&M there would NEVER EVER be any pressure on him because was BASKETBALL GOD that put their Univ back on the map, and at UK, well we see whats happening in Lexington.

4.  $$$$  wouldn't have been an issue so in most cases where that is a sticking point, in this situation it made no difference.

and most importantly

5.  He was a legend in the HS coaching ranks being that he rose from Texas High School basketball coach to arguably the 2nd (and in some eyes the best) best job in the State of Texas.  So he was getting the majority of the big recruits from the state, and basically kicking Rick Barnes butt in the process.  As a Texas fan it was really getting frustrating.

I know many says hind sight is 20/20 but I truely thought the deck was stacked against Bill G from the jump.  Nos, I told you when he took the job, and I will tell you again, "Remember the grass isn't always greener on the other side."

You and are on the same page on this one.

[Guest aschrapps]

I forgot to mention Coach Wooden. What i was saying though is that yes you can say he could have been a legend at A&M but coaches like rupp and smith and wooden are legends of basketball. maybe he could have been more of a digger phelps.

Exactly so the money he got from kentucky influenced his decision.

Getting D'Andre was a big deal but i was responding to your comment that he was beating rick barnes. Barnes got Durant and aldridge dont forget.

[PoppaBearstarr]

NOS knows I thought it was a bad move from the start for Billy G to leave A&M for UK (and this is coming from a DIE HARD Longhorn fan) and I will give you my reasons why.

1.  At UK if he does great, its expected and will be just another coach who will never be A. Rupp.  At A&M he would have been the Aggie version of A. Rupp with the court being named after him.

2.  Billy G was known to hang out at WestGate after games drinking his Coors Light at the bars with the fans and that was Win or Lose.  At UK that would and could NEVER happen for numerous reasons, but mainly because their fans or CRAZY!!!!!  I say this just to state that the guy is simple man, that wants to live a normal life, and at UK you get anything but that.

3.  At A&M there would NEVER EVER be any pressure on him because was BASKETBALL GOD that put their Univ back on the map, and at UK, well we see whats happening in Lexington.

4.  $$$$  wouldn't have been an issue so in most cases where that is a sticking point, in this situation it made no difference.

and most importantly

5.  He was a legend in the HS coaching ranks being that he rose from Texas High School basketball coach to arguably the 2nd (and in some eyes the best) best job in the State of Texas.  So he was getting the majority of the big recruits from the state, and basically kicking Rick Barnes butt in the process.  As a Texas fan it was really getting frustrating.

I know many says hind sight is 20/20 but I truely thought the deck was stacked against Bill G from the jump.  Nos, I told you when he took the job, and I will tell you again, "Remember the grass isn't always greener on the other side."

1. There will never be another Adolph Rupp, There are only a handful of coaches like that (Coach K, Coach Knight, Dean Smith) so there will never be an Adolph Rupp of A&M and thats not an insult to a&M

2. Not many coaches at the d 1 level live normal lives lol.

3. Billy has to be a competitor to get to where he is so im sure he thrives on pressure as most competitors do.

4. A&M could never offer the money that kentucky could.

5. Im sorry but the Aggie job is not the best job in the state of texas. Also Texas A&M has only has one basketball recruiting class ranked and that was 22 since 2003. Texas has been in the top ten twice in that same time period.

Billy told a close freind of mine that if he were to leave, that it wouldn't be for more money he said he was very comfortable with what he was making at A&M.

[Icky3284]

Let me clarify on the $$/Echo issue.  What I was trying to say is that if your making GREAT money at 1 school (A&M) and your job security is at 100%, its harder to leave for a school like UK where the money might be better but your going to be on the hot seat each year that you don't win a national championship (Ok maybe not that bad, but close).  LOL 

But in this case obviously not. 

I can assure you Im not comparing Billy G to those guys, simply pointing out he would be the guy they name the arena or court in honor of just like those other guys.

Poppa, you in Vegas with Spinks?

[torbush]

Gillespie just doesnt have a nice ring for a court name lol. Very difficult and long to say. 

[Icky3284]

LOL  Good Point!!  But Billy G Court sounds Ok.  Not quiet Coach K Court but it could work

[PoppaBearstarr]

Let me clarify on the $$/Echo issue.  What I was trying to say is that if your making GREAT money at 1 school (A&M) and your job security is at 100%, its harder to leave for a school like UK where the money might be better but your going to be on the hot seat each year that you don't win a national championship (Ok maybe not that bad, but close).  LOL 

But in this case obviously not. 

I can assure you Im not comparing Billy G to those guys, simply pointing out he would be the guy they name the arena or court in honor of just like those other guys.

Poppa, you in Vegas with Spinks?

I understood what you were saying.....and totally agree...

[Guest nostradamus]

You can all say what you want BUT, if the Kentucky job comes open there are only a handful of people that don't take it:

Billy Donovan-Florida

Roy Williams-UNC

Coach K-Duke

Ben Howland-UCLA

Bill Self-Kansas

Jim Calhoun-UCONN

Jim Boeheim-Syracuse

other than that, ANYONE takes that job and ANY of you would if the "Kentucky" of your chosen field was offered to you too.

QUIT LYING TO YOURSELVES!!!!!

[torbush]

Tom Crean at Indiana? John Calipari- Memphis? I mean Crean had a bad year at Indiana but I dont think either of those would leave.

[Guest etbu]

If you guys think that UK fans are going to put with NIT action think again. If BCG has a jenny in the bottle better pull it out quick.

[Guest DickVitale]

Tom Crean at Indiana? John Calipari- Memphis? I mean Crean had a bad year at Indiana but I dont think either of those would leave.

Calipari would RUN out of Memphis if they brought UK to him!! Thats CAL, baaaabby!

[Icky3284]

I know Rick Barnes turned down UK last time they came a knocking.  And I would add that Mark Fue would be NO GUARNTEE to leave GU for Lexington.

[Guest nostradamus]

Icky,

Let me say this for the 1 trillionth time.......Kentucky DID NOT offer Rick Barnes that job.......they never even made contact.

That was all speculation and rumor and that is it.

[Guest etbu]

Tom Crean at Indiana? John Calipari- Memphis? I mean Crean had a bad year at Indiana but I dont think either of those would leave.

Calipari would RUN out of Memphis if they brought UK to him!! Thats CAL, baaaabby!

Yea he was a lifer at UMass right?  :-\

[Guest aschrapps]

If you guys think that UK fans are going to put with NIT action think again. If BCG has a jenny in the bottle better pull it out quick.

a jenny?

[Icky3284]

Nos, are you 100% sure of it?  Im not saying your wrong, but unless your tied to the situation (which you may be), its your word against multiple reports.  I have read not only local (austin), but national reports saying that Barnes actually declined simply due to his friendship with Tubby.  I also read the other day that in fact that was true and if they came knocking again, which could come soon, it would be tough for him to turn them away again. 

Like I said Im not saying your wrong, but you better be really tied in on this, because your sounding like a insider or a......  LOL

[Guest nostradamus]

Let's just say I made some connections when I worked the camp there.

[Icky3284]

And you said UK never made contact with Rick Barnes, right?  They may never have, but that didn't mean they didn't contact his agent or friend close to him, to gauge his interest.  And if Barnes did inform them of his thoughts towards the job, why would UK ever act like they had interest in him. 

So even though that might have been the story told to many, I'm not buying it, because these universities are way to shady for me to trust them. 

And to answere you other question: No, if I was at my dream job or I was consderably happy at my current job with what I felt was "enough" compensation I wouldn't leave for UK or any company that would compare to them in my respected field. 

[Guest nostradamus]

Easy to say when "UK" hasn't actually come calling.

And thank you so much for enlightening me on all the "in's and out's" of college athletics....I had no idea...I feel so much more educated now.