As of 7:01PM CDT, the Houston Chronicle is reporting that Billy Gillispie may not be headed to Fayetteville, Lexington, or anywhere else, for that matter:It appears Texas A&M men's basketball coach Billy Gillispie is headed for a contract extension and a raise as reward for a record-breaking Sweet 16 season and perhaps to ward off overtures from other programs.
... Texas A&M is perhaps acting fast because of rumors of Arkansas' and Kentucky's interest in Gillispie for their recently vacated head-coaching positions. Reports today have Gillispie already in Fayetteville, Ark., interviewing for the Razorbacks post just hours after Stan Heath was fired. Another report had the school prepared to introduce Gillispie as the head coach as early as Tuesday.The problem with both those rumors is that Gillispie is in his office at Texas A&M, according to several people in the athletic department, including associate athletic director Alan Cannon and associate sports information director Colin Killian.
Well, well... et tu, Jeff Goodman of FOX Sports?
I'm buying it... for now. There are plenty of good reasons for Gillispie to remain at Texas A&M, where he has earned himself job security with back-to-back NCAA Tournament berths. Although Acie Law IV won't be jacking up clutch threes for Gillispie in 2008, the foundation laid by the Aggies head coach in the last two seasons is enough to turn A&M into a top yearly contender in the Big XII.
Should this report turn out to be the real deal, choice picks for Arkansas and Kentucky will have slimmed dramatically. This could spurn movement in the coaching ranks that has far-reaching effects; we might see a young, "diamond in the rough" coach given the opportunity to prove his worth at a big-time college job. Anthony Grant, anyone?
UPDATE (11:20PM EDT, Monday): Jeff Goodman has modified his original news report at FOX Sports. The article now reads:
One source even maintained that Gillispie has agreed in principle to a contract with Arkansas, although one Aggie recruit who spoke to Gillispie on Monday indicated differently.Now I'm buying it completely. Gillispie ain't goin' nowhere."He said that everything out there was false, that if he ever left he'd let us all know first, and not to pay any attention to it," said Texas A&M signee B.J. Holmes. "The first time I spoke to him about it was when there was speculation he was going to Kentucky, and I just talked to him again not even 10 minutes ago."
Previously at FanHouse:
Billy Gillispie to Arkansas?
Where Will Billy Gillispie Coach Next Year?
Arkansas Fires Stan Heath
