While the majority of BBN is getting ready to tackle Florida for the third time this year, a former Kentucky big man is arguing with fans over his former coach. Former Wildcat Perry Stevenson stirred up debate online by defending Billy Gillispie, one of the most controversial coaches in program history, with just 2 words.
Stevenson's message to the critics was simple: "You're wrong."
While fans remember the "Clyde" era for its joyless practices and NIT appearances, Stevenson is pulling back the curtain on why he believes Gillispie was actually a "good coach."
The ghost of Billy Gillispie hangs over Mark Pope
In 2007, Mitch Barnhart turned to Billy Gillispie after Tubby Smith moved on to Minnesota. On paper, it was a "boon." Gillispie was a turnaround artist.
He took a 6 win UTEP team to 24 wins, a conference title, and an NCAA berth the next year. Then he moved on to Texas A&M.
The Aggies were winless in the Big 12 a year before he got there. He turned them into a 21-win team the next season. 2 years later, they were 1 point short of an Elite 8 berth. Ironically, they lost that game to John Calipari and Memphis, who would eventually replace Gillispie in Lexington.
"Let me clear something up," Stevenson tweeted. "If anyone thinks BCG wasn’t a good bball coach, you’re wrong. Ppl skills, not good. Coaching? Yeah, he could do that."
But the "BCG" intro at Rupp Arena was a massive ovation. People believed it would work. Then, the off-court issues, including a messy contract situation and high-profile legal troubles, merged with his "demanding" method of coaching in a way that became toxic. Two short years later, Alan Cutler was famously running after Gillispie through the facility. If you haven't seen the video, watch it below.
The Mark Pope Parallel
Now, as Kentucky sits at 21-12 and enters the SEC Quarterfinals as a 9-seed, a vocal segment of fans have been making a dangerous claim: Mark Pope is just another Billy Gillispie.
Statistically, the first 50 games are identical (33-17). Both coaches arrived with massive "turnaround" reputations. Both had seasons that involved amazing games one night and a disaster the next.
"Wanna know what made practice so long?"
Stevenson didn't stop at just calling him "good." He pulled back the curtain on those marathon sessions.
"Wanna know what made practice so long? We went over specific situations bc he watched film of the opp’s last 10 games," Stevenson noted. "Crazy part is, a large majority of the situations always played out in the games. There’s a reason we went 12-4 in the SEC w/ a chance to win it his 1st year."
Stevenson is right. On the floor, Gillispie was a tactical master. You can look at his record and see that he knows how to turn programs around. He just couldn't hold it together off the court.
But if Pope can be who Gillispie could have been, the tactician without the turmoil, then he still has the chance to be a great hire.
Billy Gillispie is a cautionary tale, but the man can coach
Gillispie struggled because the person couldn't sustain the coach. Perry Stevenson is right: the man can coach basketball. But today at 1:00 PM against Florida, Mark Pope has a chance to prove he’s the someone who can handle the X’s and O’s and the weight of the Kentucky jersey.