On his first full day in Lexington, Billy Gillispie stood grinning in front of thousands of adoring University of Kentucky fans who came to an impromptu pep rally in Memorial Coliseum. He bathed in Big Blue love before going to a news conference introducing him as UK basketball coach.

Despite that outpouring of affection, Gillispie found himself fired two years later because his UK bosses said he didn't understand the nature of his job and its connection with fans.

"... Dedicated and passionate fans deserve a coach that understands that this is not just another coaching job," Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart said in reading a statement at another news conference on Friday.

Winning and losing didn't end Gillispie's time as coach after two seasons, although his .597 winning percentage was the worst for a UK coach since Basil Hayden's one-season 3-13 record in 1926-27.

Ironically, failing to connect with those around him cost Gillispie his job. Ironic because, in his time here, Gillispie repeatedly emphasized the importance of building relationships.

"We obviously did not achieve the results we all desired on the floor this season," Barnhart said of UK's 22-14 record. "Those results can occur when you are trying to grow a program. We clearly understand that.

"However, it is as important to represent the Kentucky program and the basketball program, more specifically, in a manner which best utilizes our incredible tradition, assets and platform. ...

"It is my evaluation that we have not done all we can to manage the entire scope of the program and all that we expect."

UK President Lee Todd echoed that reasoning. He said he spoke to Gillispie during protracted — and ultimately futile — contract negotiations about the public nature of the job.

"It's kind of like the president's job," Todd said. "Nobody really writes out exactly what you have to do. Philosophically, we wanted someone that represented the entire Big Blue Nation. ... This is a unique opportunity, a very unique job."

Gillispie did not answer reporters' questions. Holding a cell phone to his ear, he walked through raindrops to get to Wildcat Lodge and tell the players the news and then went to the Joe Craft Center to clean out his office.

Gillispie and his assistant coaches had reason to be busy. In what suggested a good-riddance sentiment, UK asked them to pack up their belongings and leave their offices by 5 p.m. (about three hours after Gillispie learned his fate in a meeting at Todd's official residence).

The Southeastern Conference Tournament served as a stage to expose how differently Gillispie and his bosses viewed the UK job.

Gillispie, who saw celebrity as a hindrance, said the UK coach must recruit great players and coach them. Period. He did not embrace the suggestion of also being an ambassador, which showed itself in his first pre-season when he did not speak to the Lexington Rotary Club, something his predecessors did annually dating to at least the 1950s.

Barnhart, who called fan interest in UK basketball a "cradle-to-grave love," noted how fans drove to Omaha, Neb., earlier this week to watch the Cats play Creighton in the National Invitation Tournament.

"There is a clear difference in how the rules and responsibilities overseeing the program are viewed," Barnhart said. "It is a gap that I do not believe can be solved by just winning games. It is a philosophical disparity that I do not believe can be repaired."

Todd and Barnhart also spoke of their desire for coaches to provide a rewarding experience for the athletes.

The father of leading scorer Jodie Meeks suggested that Gillispie's demanding style was distracting, if not a hindrance.

"You don't want to throw gasoline on the flames, but, clearly, a lot of things happened behind the scenes that made it difficult for the kids to play basketball and focus on winning," Orestes Meeks said.

Of his relationship with Gillispie, the elder Meeks cited his son's UK record 54-point performance at Tennessee on Jan. 13.

"I got calls from every coach he ever had: baseball, basketball, all of them," Meeks' father said. "Except his current coach. His current coach never called. That said a lot to me. ..."

"When you start placing blame, tell them when the ship misses the harbor, do they blame the harbor?" he added. "I don't think it's anybody's fault but his own."

Originally, Gillispie and UK had a whirlwind romance consummated with a hiring in the first 24 hours. Without mentioning those details, Barnhart acknowledged his surprise at the unhappy ending.

"This is not a place I thought we would be at this point, or one that I would want to be," the UK athletics director said. "However, after long and deliberate discussions, President Todd and I have decided we must charter a new direction for the University of Kentucky men's basketball program. Unfortunately there are times when a situation and the people involved do not create the right chemistry or right fit. It is our belief that is where we are and where we find ourselves with Kentucky basketball today."

Barnhart said he and Todd have talked for a month about "dramatic differences" in how the administrators and Gillispie view the job of coach. Gillispie's comments at the SEC Tournament about the job's public component not being in the "job description" seemingly sealed his fate.

After denying any regrets in the hire, Barnhart said, "He's a good basketball coach. Sometimes it's not the right fit."