Texas Tech To Fire BCG

Texas Tech Reportedly Plans on Firing Coach Billy Gillispie

By Ben Chodos (Featured Columnist) on September 8, 2012 1,936 reads 1

Texas Tech will reportedly fire its head basketball coach Billy Gillispie.

Deadspin’s Timothy Burke reported athletic director Kirby Hocutt’s impending decision, which is currently being delayed because Gillispie is on sick leave, making it illegal to fire him until he returns.

This comes after CBS Sports’ Jeff Goodman reported that Gillispie had grossly mistreated players and coaches under him at Texas Tech.

Goodman wrote:

Sources close to the Texas Tech program told CBSSports.com that Gillispie reneged on several promises to coaches, kept players in scholarship limbo, causing them to miss opportunities and money, and also practiced injured players so severely that they openly wept in practice.

Goodman also notes that Wannah Bail, one of the Red Raiders’ most highly touted recruits, left the program because he “couldn’t deal with” Gillispie. The report also states that “approximately 30” members of Gillispie’s staff have left since he took over the program.

Gillispie is 148-108 in his head coaching career. His first position leading a program was with UTEP from 2002-2004. He then led Texas A&M's program to prominence before he was hired by Kentucky to replace Tubby Smith.

At Kentucky, he attracted controversy when he recruited Michael Avery—a guard from Southern California—as an eighth grader.

Gillispie had a 40-27 record with the Wildcats. He was eliminated from the NCAA tournament in the first round in his first season, then only managed to qualify for the NIT the following season.

He was fired after just two years.

During his first—and soon to be only season at Texas Tech—the Red Raiders finished with an 8-23 record, going just 1-17 in Big 12 play.