The Fall of Billy Clyde

He was once touted as a great recruiter, someone who was so dedicated to his job that he had no time for anything else. He was an up and comer and was the hottest name on the coaching trail in college basketball. He was seen as a savior in the bluegrass, and the next great coach on his way to the top. How far has he fallen? Before resigning at Texas Tech he was hiding out in the hospital, in an attempt to keep his job just a little longer. Now he is unemployed and simply un-hireable by any program in Division I.

How did it happen? At Texas A&M Gillispie was a rising star, bringing in what were thought to be top level recruits, and was quickly on the radar of Kentucky soon after they fired Tubby Smith. He was hired and quickly excited the fan base promising top level talent and dazzling fans with the news they were hearing of Billy getting commitments from eighth graders, and foreign players that had never been heard of. The fans trusted him until it all started to fall apart. Soon he was exposed for what he was. He drove players away from the program, forced players to practice on broken bones, and punished players until he broke thier spirits completely. He ruined the career of Derek Jasper, locked Josh Harrelson in a bathroom stall, and if he had stayed would have seen a number of his players transfer, including Darius Miller. The curtain had fallen and Gillispie was seen as what he was. A fraud, a drunken over-hyped, brutal joke of a coach that ruined players careers and made a basketball program that had completely bought into his scam, regret that they ever gave him a chance.

He was exposed for what he was, and his career should have ended at that moment. Not being as successful as expected is forgivable, but hurting players and treating them like dogs for his own power trip is unforgivable. He is a bully, and when you give a bully power over kids who trust him, and look to him for guidance you are just asking for trouble. And that is exactly what Texas Tech got. So why in the world would they ever hire him?

The writing was on the wall, and anyone that saw the blow up at Kentucky could predict what was to happen at Texas Tech. It was a safe bet. Billy sure hadn't changed. It took a while fornthe news to get out, but just like at Kentucky he was exposed and it all fell apart. The recruits he promised never turned up, or if they did then they weren't any good. He once again pushed players to and passed their breaking points, and forced players to practice through injury until they would never be the same. And now hopefully, for the sake of players who fall for his act, his career is over.

He was once a prophet, and now two coaching jobs, two firings, and two ponzi schemes later, he has fallen from grace. For his sake, I hope he figures his life out and becomes a better person, but for the sake of players everywhere, I hope his coaching career is done for good.