Twice before in his life, Billy Gillispie had been accused of drunk driving. He avoided an actual admission and penalties the first couple of times. The third time was the not quite the charm as the former Kentucky coach pled guilty to driving under the influence of alcohol in Anderson County District Court in Kentucky.Gillispie limited most of his responses to the judge to one word answers. He received a sentence similar to most first-time offenders in Kentucky. A 30-day suspension of his driver's license, a fine plus all court costs and being required to complete an Alcohol Drivers Education Program.
Gillispie was arrested in August for DUI. A couple weeks after that, he entered a rehab program in Texas. Whether Gillispie is truly addressing what appears to be a serious issue, is unclear. Gillispie has not spoken to anyone in the media since the arrest. He didn't speak to anyone at the courthouse, and the statement he released through his attorney does nothing to clarify things.
Eventually, if he wants to be a head coach again, he will have to speak publicly and address whether he sees this as an isolated mistake or part of a larger problem he has to face."I made a mistake and admitted my mistake today to Judge Armstrong, and I accept the penalty she has imposed," Gillispie said in the statement. "I want to apologize to the people of Kentucky, my family and friends, and I want to thank all of those who have reached out to me over the past several months with kind words of encouragement and support."
