Forgetting Billy Clyde

This week UK Basketball laid to rest maybe the greatest error of it's existence. There are some black eyes in our program's rich history and plenty of skeletons in our closet, but the last two years of the infamous Billy Clyde era may be atop the list. It's been well documented as to why this change had to be made, and I don't think anyone locally or nationally can make a fair case that Billy Clyde should still be in Lexington. With the breaking news this week that UK has settled with the former coach, we can officially receive closure from the Billy Clyde era in the Bluegrass.

It really closes a chapter of irrelevance for UK over the last 4 years. Despite some fine moments in the Tubby era, we all know how that ended. Billy Clyde was a beacon of hope when he took the job in April of 2007. His rebuilding projects at Texas El Paso and A&M were the talk of the college basketball world and after his Aggies beat Rick Pitino in Lexington during the 2006 NCAA tournament, he seemed like a logical choice for the position. However, from the get-go, we had red flags that caused the Big Blue Nation and the University to wonder if it had made a bad choice. Gardner Webb beat UK in a nationally televised game and marked a rocky start for the new coach. Yet, many of us gave him a pass for inheriting a team devoid of talent, save a couple of players, one of which was a freshman. The team rebounded and finished 12-4 in the conference and hope was reborn. Heck, Clyde even won co-coach of the year honors in the SEC. However, the very next season, our optimism quickly melted away with a train wreck 8-8 finish in a weaker SEC, including an embarrassing loss to the woeful Georgia on Senior Night. Missing the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1991 was the final nail in his coffin. Of course, we know that shortly after the team's NIT loss to Notre Dame, Clyde was canned, but with a DUI arrest and the cloud of his law suit hanging over the program's head, it was hard to forget the man.

So that brings us to the now and the start of a new era, an era that officially begins Friday night with Madness. The check is in the mail to Billy, and I hope he spends it wisely because the chances of him landing another high paying gig anytime soon is slim to none. For the Big Blue Nation, the settlement means we no longer have any reason to remember him, other than the fact that his departure finally brought us the right man for the job.

Big Blue Nation Report wishes Billy many brighter days ahead, but we are officially saying good bye. After Friday night, he'll merely be another bump in the road. UCLA and UNC both rebounded from Lavin and Doherty with Final Fours and National Championships, one only figures it's a matter of time until UK has a similar happy ending with it's new beacon of hope... Coach Cal.