Billy Gillispie could return to Division I basketball for the first time since 2012. Charles Bertram/Lexington Herald-Leader/MCT/Sipa USA

Report: Billy Gillispie could return to Division I coaching with Tarleton State

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated 3/28/20

Billy Gillispie hasn’t coached Division I basketball since 2012, but that could be changing.

According to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports, the former coach of Texas A&M and Kentucky is reportedly a candidate to take over as basketball coach at Tarleton State. The Texas-based school will begin playing in the Western Athletic Conference in 2020-21.

Sources: Billy Gillispie has emerged as a candidate for the head coaching vacancy at Tarleton State.

Gillispie is the current head coach at Ranger College (JUCO) and the former head coach at Texas Tech, UTEP, and Kentucky.

Texans will join the WAC and Division 1 on July 1st.

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 28, 2020

Tarleton State won’t be eligible for postseason play until 2024-25, but seeing Gillispie’s name back in the news is interesting. At one point, he was one of the hottest coaches in the country. Then came a failed stint at Kentucky, followed by a Texas Tech tenure marred by allegations of player abuse. Since then, he’s found success coaching Ranger College, a junior college. Now he may be tapped to help a school transition into Division I play.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: