Tarleton State has placed men’s basketball coach Billy Gillispie on temporary administrative leave as the university investigates a complaint, ESPN reports. Gillispie is entering his sixth season with the Texans. Assistant coach Glynn Cyprien will serve as acting head coach in Gillispie’s absence. The university has provided no details about the nature of the complaint and has not offered a timeline for how long the investigation will take.
Gillispie, 65, has faced a career marked by controversy and health concerns. His tenure at Texas Tech (2011-12) included allegations of player mistreatment, including forcing injured athletes to practice, and he was reprimanded for exceeding NCAA practice limits.
In September 2012, he took an indefinite medical leave after hospitalization for heart-related symptoms and resigned later that year, citing health concerns. Earlier, during his time at Kentucky (2007-09), Gillispie was dismissed after two seasons amid concerns over fit and contractual disputes following a campaign in which the Wildcats missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1991. He later settled a lawsuit with the university for nearly $3 million.
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Despite these challenges, Gillispie has a history of success on the court. He first gained national attention at UTEP, where he led the Miners to a conference title and an NCAA Tournament berth in his second season, engineering one of the biggest turnarounds in NCAA history. At Texas A&M (2004–07), he produced three consecutive 20-win seasons and twice earned Big 12 Coach of the Year honors, building a reputation for recruiting top talent and revitalizing struggling programs.
Three years after his departure from Texas Tech in 2012, Gillispie returned to Ranger College, his alma mater, where he served as head coach and athletic director. His tenure there included NJCAA sanctions for using ineligible players.
He was hired by Tarleton State in March 2020, helping guide the program during its transition from Division II to Division I. Gillispie owns a 78-74 (.513) overall record in five seasons at Tarleton, including two postseason appearances in the CBI and CIT.
Gillispie’s placement on leave comes as the Texans prepare for the upcoming season with the first game at SMU on Nov. 3.
