He chased Billy Gillispie down a hallway. Who knew it would be Alan Cutler’s signature moment.

Alan Cutler, a prominent Lexington sports media figure and sports director of WLEX-TV, announced his retirement Saturday. The longtime sports anchor and reporter is probably best known for his chase of University of Kentucky basketball coach Billy Gillispie through Memorial Coliseum as he was being fired in 2009. Gillispie was fired after two years on the job and refused to give Cutler a comment even as Cutler was running after him.

The video, which has hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube, was addressed on Cutler’s Twitter page.

“I never thought the Billy G thing would have a life of its own. … I was just trying to get an interview,” he wrote.

Cutler, originally from Long Beach, N.Y., began his career with WLEX-TV in 1981. He was with the station until 1984, left for Pittsburgh, then rejoined in 1987 where he has been working ever since.

During Cutler’s time with the network, he has covered numerous Kentucky Derbys and basketball and football teams at the University of Kentucky. In addition to being sports director and anchor for WLEX-TV, he also serves as the host of the Cincinnati Bengals Radio Network.

Following Cutler’s announcement, there was an outpouring of support on Twitter from other Lexington sports anchors.

“Just learned Alan Cutler is retiring this spring. Since 1981 @cutler18 has a great run at WLEX in two stints. The best Alan … Congrats!!!!” wrote Rob Bromley, a former sports anchor at WKYT-TV.

“Congrats to@cutler18, a great person and a fixture of the Lexington sports scene for 30 years!” wrote Matt Jones, founder of Kentucky Sports Radio.

“Tonight my mentor, and one of my best friends in this business announced his retirement. Couldn’t be happier for you @cutler18,” wrote Jonathan Dunn, a sports reporter for WLEX-TV.

“There’s really only one way for @cutler18 to end his last broadcast. Billy Gillispie has to chase him out of the studio, right? Congrats Cut!” wrote the ESPN Radio Lexington Twitter account.

Cutler’s last day with the network will be May 5, the day of the 2018 Kentucky Derby.

This story was originally published February 4, 2018 at 6:24 PM with the headline "He chased Billy Gillispie down a hallway. Who knew it would be Alan Cutler’s signature moment.."