I just came across this over at John Clay's Sidelines blog. It seems that Mark Turgeon, the coach that replaced Billy Gillispie at Texas A&M, is finding it difficult to be the coach that follows a successful coach, especially since the Aggies have lost their last three in a row to conference foes. Quoth Turgeon:
"I know no matter what I do, Gillispie is getting the credit if we win," said Turgeon earlier this week. "If we lose, it's my fault. I'm in a no-flipping-win situation this year, and that puts me in a bad mood."I've got no chance this year. If we win, it's because of Gillispie. If we lose, it's because of Mark Turgeon. So I can't win."
Now, contrast this to Gillispie, who has taken all the responsibility for the bad and laid all the plaudits for the good on his team. Could Gillispie have blamed the tough start on Tubby Smith's recruiting? Yes. Would the BBN have lapped it up like a thirsty dog on a hot summer day? Yes. Could he have taken credit for turning the team around? Yes. Has he done any of those things?
No.
Whining and self-aggrandizement just aren't Gillispie's style. Good for Coach. He doesn't suffer by comparison at all against the new Aggies coach when it comes to taking ownership of his job. I admire that, and I'll bet more than a few in the Big Blue Nation do also. The original Houston Chronicle article can be found here.