Photo Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images
Tarleton State University formally announced Friday that men’s basketball coach Billy Gillispie will not return next season. The school has already launched a national search for his successor.
Vice President and Director of Athletics Steve Uryasz confirmed the decision, thanking Gillispie for his leadership over the past six seasons and expressing confidence in identifying a “championship-caliber coach” to guide the program forward. The university has partnered with CSA Search & Consulting to assist in the hiring process.
Health Issues End Tenure
Gillispie has been sidelined since Jan. 15 due to ongoing health concerns. He previously missed time in December and most of the 2023–24 season while dealing with complications related to high blood pressure. Associate head coach Glynn Cyprien has served as acting head coach during his absence.
Earlier this month, Gillispie told The Dallas Morning News that his current issues involved his heart and blood pressure. Health challenges have followed him throughout his coaching career. He resigned from Texas Tech University in 2012 citing medical problems after a hospitalization. In 2017, doctors diagnosed him with kidney failure, and he later underwent a transplant.
A Complex Coaching Journey
Gillispie arrived at Tarleton in 2020 after five seasons at Ranger College, helping transition the Texans into the Division I era. He compiled a 92–89 record at Tarleton, marking the longest stop among his five Division I head coaching jobs.
Before that, he led programs at University of Kentucky, Texas A&M University, University of Texas at El Paso, and Texas Tech. His rapid rebuilds at UTEP and Texas A&M elevated his national profile, though later stops proved more turbulent.
Tarleton entered the final stretch of this season at 14–15 overall and 5–11 in WAC play after starting 11–6 prior to Gillispie’s leave.
With the program now fully established at the Division I level, university leadership signals a fresh chapter ahead for Texan basketball.
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