Letter to the Lexington Herald-Leader, 3/22/2009 (Author's Cut)

Billy Gillispie has struggled, in part, because he does not understand his role. He does not report to Mitch Barnhart so much as he answers to the people of Kentucky, who see him as a caretaker of a tradition with which so many of them feel a personal connection. People loved Rick Pitino, not just because he won like Adolph Rupp, but because he let the Big Blue Nation know that he had their concerns at heart. Pitino’s empathy was best displayed by how he communicated with the Kentucky faithful after a loss. He addressed mistakes head-on, preached fundamentals, credited hard work and held 6:00 AM practices – when needed. This reassured knowledgeable Kentucky fans that mistakes were going to be corrected and progress would be made. Coach Gillispie’s resistence to change, curt remarks and public withdrawal have not instilled dedicated fans with confidence. The opposite is true - everyone knows that many of the problems that plagued this team in November remain – nothing seems to have changed for the better. Mr. Gillispie thinks that the team belongs to him and that it is none of our business. He is in error.