I’m not sure how good a coach Billy Gillispie is. I’m fairly certain he would have struggled to thrive as the University of Kentucky’s men’s basketball coach because he never seemed comfortable in the position.
Gillispie and the school parted ways Friday after two seasons at the helm. Granted, I did not cover UK but since I live in Lexington, Kentucky, I certainly observed the coach of the state’s favorite sports team on a regular basis.
Gillispie never appeared comfortable as the UK coach, which brings quite a level of celebrity in the Bluegrass State. More than once he emphasized his preference to just coach basketball. This year, UK Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart said more is expected of a coach at UK.
While coaches routinely answer questions on the fly before halftime on nationally televised games, Gillispie snapped at ESPN reporter Jeannine Edwards and rarely seemed comortable in a similar interviews. Even his pregame radio shows were odd to hear as he often would offer seemingly insignificant corrections in how questions were worded.
If he returns to a position where he does not have as many public relations responsibilities, perhaps he will again thrive as a coach.
I’ve talked about this before but coaching positions have to be a good fit for everyone involved. It’s something to keep in mind whether you’re considering a job at a major college or at the high school level.