For Billy Gillispie, the road out of Kentucky isn't getting any easier. Gillispie, who was fired in April after two seasons as Wildcats coach, was arrested on suspicion of DUI.According to a report by a Lexington television station, Lawrenceburg, Ky., police pulled Gillispie over at 2:45 AM Thursday morning. The 50-year-old coach, who said he was returning from a golf outing, refused to take a breathalyzer or blood test.
This is the third time that Gillispie has been charged with a DUI. He was charged with it in 1999 in Oklahoma, and pleaded down to a lesser charge. In 2003 he was arrested in El Paso, Texas on suspicion of of drunk driving, but the charges were later dropped.
For Gillispie, the formula should've been simple.
Lay low for a year, rehabilitate his image in the media and smooth over the rough edges of his departure from Kentucky. Try to get things quietly settled over the whole contract/no-contract/buyout stuff. Then wait for the offers to come next spring.
But this is not the way for another coach living in Kentucky to try and grab headlines from Rick Pitino and John Calipari.
Gillispie may beat the charge or he may plead guilty to some lesser offense. That is irrelevant to his coaching future. Combine this with his prickly personality and poor relationship with the media while at Kentucky and you have a coach that has done some serious damage to his future.
He can forget about a major conference team being willing to take a chance on him for a while. He will be lucky to get interest from a mid-tier mid-major for the foreseeable future. His coaching acumen and recruiting skills have never been doubted. Everything else, though, is a wreck.
Comments (Page 2 of 3)
How many DUI's does he have to get before they put him in prison. Oh wait, I know, he'll end up killing someone first. I got one DUI and they kept my licence for 10 YEARS. Something's definately wrong with our justice system.
REMEMBER THE SAYING; FRIENDS DONT LET FRIENDS DRIVE DRUNK, THE LIFE YOU SAVE SAVE MAY BE YOU OWN,I AM HOPING IT WONT BE ME,
Gillispie is the John Majors of baketball. Both love the booze.
BAD "JOURNALISM"!! This man has NEVER been convicted of a DWI or DUI (pretty much the same depending on what state), and we're judging him based on two prior arrests. The standard for holding people accountable -- particularly when we're talking about potential misdemeanors rather than felones -- are convictions, not arrests, which can (and often are in the case of DWI arrests) be bogus or based on erroneous suspicion.
Gillespie doesn't deserve a free pass for the circumstances of this last arrest or its timing, but it's disingenuous to portray him as a habitual drunk driver based on previous charges that didn't stick.
Also, why didn't this writer go ahead and say what the "lesser charge" in Oklahoma was? Don't let giving pertinent details get in the way of a biased journalist trashing someone.
I'm no Gillespie fan. I live in Texas, liked what he did at A&M, but wasn't crazy how he left the school for Kentucky after getting a good contract. That said, I think it's patently unfair to portray him as a habitual drunk driver based on previous charges that either didn't stick or were completely dropped.
Be alert and focused when you drive. You just may save your own life by avoiding those drunks on the road.
Let's not make this a black or white issue. Obviously the guy has a drinking problem. Pull his driving license, put him in mandatory rehab and hope he get's his head straight.
48-28-2009 @ 9:08AM
Hello Chase said...
Or George Bush (or Laura for that matter, she killed someone when she was 17).....
===+++++ Obviously you are a barry the Socialist MORON!! She was not drunk, you IDIOT!! This LOWLIFE so called coach, is a DRUNK and JERK!!
I would invite you "don't take the tests" folks down to Texas. If you don't take the test, your license is gone for 180 days - end of story. If you aren't drunk, you can prove it mighty easy. And the 2:45 am comment was right on. Besides, was he out looking for a job?
Kentucky law is that if you refuse to take a breathalyzer or blood test you automatically lose your drivers license. Doesn't matter if you are guilty or not
COACHES ARE FIRST, HUMAN BEINGS. THEY LIKE ALL OTHER HUMAN BEINGS CAN BECOME ADDICTED TO CERTAIN DRUGS. ALCOHOL IS BUT ONE OF THESE. ALL NEED OR REQUIRE PROFESSIONAL HELP IN ARRESTING THESE HORRIBLE PROBLEMS. WITHOUT REHAB, ALL WILL JUST BECOME WORSE AND WORSE. WHETHER THEY ARE "LIKEABLE" OR NOT. THIS, IS JUST A PERSONAL OPINION FOR WHATEVER REASON! WHY ALL THE HATRED, FOR NOTHING MORE THAN A GAME?
I never liked him anyway. I'm so tired of hearing about these sports people that screw up. They get paid tons of money and are looked up to. There's just no excuse. Nobody's perfect but come on. You know you're in the public eye and they can be cruel. I'd give anything to have just a fourth of their money. WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE!!!
Give the coach a break. He's innocent until proven guilty, just like the rest of us. According to the article, he has no DUI convictions. He pled down to a lesser charge on one, and the other was dropped. I don't see where he was ever convicted, and refusal to take the Breathalyzer/Intoxilyzer/Datamaster test is a pretty smart move in most states. If you've ever thought about the complexity of those machines, it would stand to reason that there is a margin of error for the possibility of a false positive, in some circumstances. I do not condone drunk driving, but I do believe everyone, no matter how prickly their personality or how poor their relationship with the media, deserves a fair shake.
I was never so happy as to see Billy G. go from UK! I am sad to see him back in the news for this. He needs to get help and get out of the media. He is a half-azzed coach at best with only one play in the book. He needs to step off and totally go away. Go coach little league. They could get your play book in a minute Billy...And yes, Tubby is the best coach we have had in a very, very long time. He was actually a good role-model for the players.
Just another alcoholic in denial that needs to start going to AA meetings, get a sponsor, and work the twelve steps. Until he does that nothing is going to change.
I know the prosecutor where Billy got his DUI. Somehow I don't think he will skate on this one. I just hate that this case will take her attention away from other cases that are just as important because of all the media attention it will get.
Convicted twice and now charged with a third! This guy needs to be coaching the Kentucky State Penatentury football team. His actions have proven him to be an alcholic and not a good role model for young men going to collage. My question is how long will he ACTUALLY be in prison for his lack of self control. In the three incidents he has endangered the lives and livelyhood of possible thousands of unsuspecting people. Our tolarance of drunk drivers is amazing when we are taking cigarettes from smokers but are willing to allow disfunctional people to pilot a ton or two of steel into other people repeatedly. Jail, not rehab for this repeat offender!
good ole conservative
Billy must have been playing golf with the blind firemen who play at night!!!
PR said...
He needs to have his driver's license revoked for good,he has done this 3 times, and 3 times you are out, I lost my brother to a drunk driver so therefore I do not feel sorry for anyone who is dum enough to drive drunk, they do not think about anyone but themselves.....who is to say that he did not drive any of his former players around while under the influence............I hope that he at least takes out the time to seek help before he hurts or kills someone or even himself
******************************************************* I'll tell You what I think is Dumb. It someone that calls someone else dumb and can't even spell dumb right.
Too dumb to spell dumb. "WOW"
Oh those Drunkard LOSERS - they NEED Triple A.