“I’m gonna have a hole in my butt. It is what it is, man.”
Men’s basketball head coach Joe Golding ripped through the sports world Wednesday afternoon by answering a question about his faulty pants.
“Unfortunately I ripped my pants,” Golding said at the NCAA Tournament media day press conference. “So I get back to Abilene – I haven’t got my bonus yet, either. I just found out I don’t get that until June 1, I think. I heard somebody was going to start a GoFundMe page; I would appreciate it, any help I can get.”
And Golding was right.
Isaac DiSanto, a Kentucky fan from California, was zipping through articles about the pants that had made the rounds in Kentucky fans’ circles. He said his motivation for the campaign was to uphold traditional values of the small, West Texas Christian school by offering the opportunity for others to provide financial generosity to someone who might be in a bind.
“As a Kentucky fan, I want the game to be a fair fight,” DiSanto said. “The last thing either team’s players or coach should have to be worrying about is their wardrobe. A Kentucky win would feel less significant if outside factors were affecting the game.”
DiSanto said though he might have pushed the buttons of a few Kentucky by helping the opposition, he thought the story was worth it.
Originally, the goal of the GoFundMe was to raise $500, but DiSanto upped it to $750 because he was unsure of how much a suit costs. In only eight hours, 19 people raised $650, and the fundraiser had almost 200 shares on social media. By 9 a.m. ET, the goal was surpassed.
“In hindsight, the high goal is probably more of a testament to my lack of knowledge about suits and their prices than anything else,” DiSanto said.
Because he lives in California, his plan is to get the money where it needs to be so they can buckle down and purchase a suit as soon as possible. DiSanto was able to contact Vic McCracken, associate professor of theology and ethics at the university, who said they are working with the athletic department to figure out what Golding wants to do with the money.
“I’ve had a blast every step of the way,” DiSanto said. “It’s been really awesome to see so much support for this campaign. This is clearly a very tight-knit, passionate community.”
Even though he won’t purchase a new outfit in time, it seams as if being himself suits Golding well.
