Sometimes, a man can protect his life from every peril except for himself. This seems to be the case as former head coach Billy Clyde Gillispie resigned from Texas Tech, ending a volatile and disappointing tenure that casts plenty of doubt about his future in Division I basketball.

Gillispie was once a promising coaching prospect who appeared ready to stake his claim as the next big thing in college hoops. Instead, he has allowed his inner demons to take control of his life and have effectively forced him away from what he loves doing most: coaching basketball to young men.

The story of Billy Gillispie is one of sadness and regret, but it all began with great promise during his early days as an assistant head coach. Gillispie's first job in Division I came under the guidance of head coach Harry Miller at Baylor University. The highlight of his tenure came in 1996, when Gillispie helped assemble the Bears' sixth-ranked recruiting class in the nation that season.

Billy eventually left the Baylor program and landed at the University of Tulsa, where he learned under head coach Bill Self. The two formed a dynamite duo and they led the school to an appearance in the Elite Eight during the 2000 NCAA Tournament.

Self and Gillispie then left together to coach at the University of Illinois, where they yet again took the team to the 2001 NCAA Elite Eight. After their great success, Gillispie helped the Illini land a Top-10 recruiting class. The team advanced to the Sweet 16 the following season, in large part because of Billy Clyde's great tactical skills and ability to lure great talent to campus.

Before moving forward, take a step backward and observe what this man accomplished in such a short time span. He helped guide multiple programs to great success in the NCAA tournament while simultaneously recruiting at a high level at schools that were not recruiting hotbeds beforehand. The man accomplished great success in a short period of time, which would be the theme going forward in his rise to stardom.

Known as a hot up-and-comer and a great recruiter, Billy Gillispie finally landed his first major head coaching position by accepting the head coaching job at the University of Texas at El Paso in 2002. His first season for the Miners yielded an ugly 6-24 record, but the coach assembled a Top 25 overall class that promised great things for the program ahead.

Billy accomplished more than he could have dreamed in his second season, as his Miners completed the biggest turnaround of the season and finished 24-8 while taking home the WAC conference title. The startling turnaround earned Gillispie the Texas Coach of the Year award and he was a finalist for National Coach of the Year honors.

Gillispie parlayed this success into a promotion of sorts by leaving UTEP to take over as the head coach for Texas A&M. The Aggies finished 7-21 prior to Billy's hiring but quickly turned things around as he led them to a 21-10 record in the 2004-05 season. The 14-game turnaround was the greatest improvement in the nation, making Gillispie the first head coach in NCAA history to lead the nation's most improved team two years in a row.

He led Texas A&M to the NIT and even won games against ranked in-state rivals Texas and Texas Tech. It was no wonder then that he was a unanimous selection as the Big 12 Coach of the Year.

Excerpt from:
Billy Gillispie's Rise to Stardom and Tragic Fall from Grace