Former Texas A&M, Texas Tech and Kentucky coach Billy Gillespie has decided to call it a career. The 57-year old cited health concerns and specifically high blood pressure and that he was following the orders of his doctors to leave the season early. His most recent job was athletic director and basketball coach at Ranger College, a JUCO. He was responsible for coaching the most improved teams in all of college basketball in back-to-back seasons. He had an 18-game improvement 2003-04 with UTEP and then a 14-game improvement with Texas A&M the next season.
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His quick improvements of those two programs led to him getting the Kentucky job in 2007 after Tubby Smith was let go. Gillespie was responsible for the recruitment of Patrick Patterson, Daniel Orton and DeAndre Liggins most notably while also securing a commitment from an eighth grader at the time in Michael Avery.
However, Gillespie's puzzling losses at home coupled with missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1991 are what ultimately cost him the job in 2009. He had home losses to the Virginia Military Institute and Gardner Webb and often criticized players in close losses.
After the 2009 season and debacle at Kentucky, Gillespie took a job at Texas Tech in 2011 and quickly resigned in 2012 amid health concerns and serious mistreatment allegations. He took the Ranger College job in 2015.
[h/t Associated Press]
