Kentucky is Baketball's Verison of Notre Dame Football

(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

After two seasons at the helm, Kentucky fired Billy Gillispie. In those two seasons Gillispie went 40-27, which a winning percentage of .590. He appeared in the NCAA Tournament last year losing in the first round to Marquette. This year UK failed to make the field of 65. Making it to the quarterfinals of the NIT before losing to Notre Dame.

It is only ironic that they lost in South Bend. Notre Dame has become infamous for firing football coaches after just two or three years. Now, Kentucky seems to be following that model.

The unreal expectations that Kentucky fans, boosters, alumni, and athletic department have shows arrogance. Arrogance that they belong in the Final Four every year is the same one that Notre Dame has about being in BCS Bowl every year.

Kentucky's AD Mitch Barnhart said that you could not accuse them have being hasty about the firing because they gave Rich Brooks time with the football team. But that is the exact reason to call this move hasty.

Kentucky is a once proud powerhouse of college basketball. Now it is in need of being rebuilt. Every program has to go through it. North Carolina went through it. So did Georgetown and Villanova.

Yes, Gillispie's record is not dazzling but it is far from horrible. Yes, he lost games he should not have, especially at home. Young teams tend to struggle at times, they have trouble not playing down to their competition.

Remember that he replaced to big players from last year in Joe Crawford and Ramel Bradley. He had to  rely on a inconsistent Patrick Patterson and the streaky Jodie Meeks.

Billy Gillispie deserved the third year. He is still playing kids that he did not recruit. Asking him to win without your type of players is impossible.

The University of Kentucky's arrogance that it belongs in the Final Four or National Championship every year is its down fall.

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