How One Former Texas A&M Basketball Coach Can’t Stay Out of Trouble

Gillispie got his start as a head coach at UTEP, where he led the Miners to a 6-24 record in his first season before completely flipping the script in his second season and posting a 24-8 record.

After his early success, Texas A&M took notice and offered him its head position, where he compiled a 70-26 record over his three seasons there before accepting the head position at true blue-blood program Kentucky.

After two successful seasons with the Wildcats, Gillispie spent a season at Texas Tech before taking over as head coach of the Texans. Spending the past five seasons at Tarleton State, Gillispie has accumulated a 55-66 record with the team. Over his 13-year head-coaching career, he accumulated a 203-174 record and four NCAA Tournament appearances.

While Gillispie has undoubtedly been a good coach, he has had multiple blemishes on his record. While at Texas Tech, Gillispie faced controversy surrounding the way he treated players, specifically grueling practice hours. Shortly after the allegations surfaced, Gillispie resigned but cited health complications.

Gillispie’s time at Kentucky also came to an unceremonious end after he was let go for reportedly not fitting the culture that the program was trying to cultivate. There were also rumblings about player mistreatment before he was fired.

While there have been no details regarding Gillispie’s current leave, his track record may hint at a reason for his departure. The Texans are set to start their 2025 season on Nov. 3 with a matchup against the SMU Mustangs. There is no timeline for Gillispie’s return. Associate head coach Glynn Cyprien has taken over as the acting head coach for the time being. Cyprien has put together quite the resume as an assistant, with stops that include UNLV, Oklahoma State, Arkansas, Kentucky, Memphis and Texas Tech.