[BCF4L]

This is the way I feel.

We should not be calling for Barnhart's head right now.

During Rich Brooks first few seasons, everyone was screaming "FIRE RICH BROOKS, FIRE HIM NOW!"

Well Brooks wasn't fired and UK football rose up to win 3 consecutive bowl games, something that had never been done.

Now, I would guess that 99% of UK football fans would not want Rich Brooks to be let go at the moment.

The same needs to happen with Billy G. He needs to be able to stay here and get his recruits in before we can start questioning his abilities. Once Billy G. has his Seniors on the floor, then, and only then, should we start questioning that hire.

IMO, the main thing UK fans need right now is patience. Rome wasn't built in a day, and something as complex as UK basketball with several factors such as talent, fan support, and recruiting, cannot be rebuilt in a year or two.

The presence of a new coach should not mean that the program will change immediately, and UK fans are asking too much of the program for this to happen.

People, I feel your pain. I would love to see UK in the final four, I would love to see UK win the championship. During my time as a student at UK, I wanted nothing more than to be there when they won number 8, but it didn't happen. I have faced reality, and some of you need to face that reality as well.

What would happen if Billy G. was fired? What good-quality coach in his right mind would want to come in to a situation where the thought will always be in the back of his mind that one or two sub-par seasons could put him out the door on his butt?

If Billy G. were to be fired, I guarantee that during interviewing, prospective coaches would say, "Can you promise me more than two years to turn the program around?" Taking on a new job is no easy task, and it makes UK look unattractive if job security is not there. No coach wants to relocate himself or his family every year or two.

Again, we need to grasp that it's ok for us as UK fans to feel bad that UK may not make the big dance this year (would we even get past the first round if we made it?).

If we could all have the patience with Gillispie that Barnhart had with Brooks, I think we would see very good things come out of UK basketball.

Listen, while I understand the point you are trying to make, let's look at it this way. Gillispie has recruited multiple 4 and 5 star athletes since he has been here. Many of them are currently on the roster now. But, how many do you see playing significant minutes? Liggins? Negative Miller? Sure but he only averages 5 PPG. Harrellson? Negative Galloway? Negative Legion? Transferred. You can make a case for Patterson, but the day he signed his LOI, he told us that he was basically coming to UK anyways because of the distance between his house and UK. Tubby was previously recruiting him anyways so it would have taken a lot not to get Patterson.

So basically what I'm trying to say is, why should we wait on Gillispie to get his "talent" here when he's not playing the "talent" he has already placed on the team? Who's to say that Orton, Villarino, or Hood even get to play next year? Who's to say Pilgrim is going to be worth anything? I mean he did average a whopping 7 PPG at Hampton.

While your argument is certainly understandable, I just don't think UK can afford to wait on Clyde. This program can't be set back anymore than what it already is. Technically, we are already set back to 1979 considering that's the last time a UK team participated in the NIT. So really, we can't be set back anymore if we make a coaching change. We can only go up from here. Especially if Calipari is the coach. Cal goes to UK, and all of his amazing recruits will follow. And his recruits aren't the ones that stay around 4 years, they are amazingly talented athletes that play one year and go pro. So you can't tell me that he couldn't turn this program around in 1 year with the talent he brings in.

Also, North Carolina had a coach by the name of Matt Doherty. He was axed by the University after 2 years because he simply didn't cut it at UNC. There was one year of the two where the Tar Heels missed the post-season tournament so they cut him loose. Just a few short weeks after Doherty was let go, Roy Williams was brought in. So the point is, coaches understand that elite programs won't put up with coaches who run the program down. If UK fires Gillispie, this will in no way affect who comes in as our next coach.