Billy Gillispie doing well with “the best job he’ll ever have”
Tommy Wells | Ranger College
Billy Gillispie is the living, breathing punchline of several Kentucky basketball jokes. To some, Billy Gillispie is a basketball joke. Gillispie is even a curse word in some circles around the Bluegrass.
But today, let’s be proud of a man who appears to have turned things around for the good, loving life and making a difference in a new situation.
That is the new Billy Gillispie — the head coach at his alma mater, Ranger College, in a small Texas town. It’s nowhere near the job he had in Lexington, but it seems to be the perfect job for him.
In an article for The Dallas Morning News, we learn Gillispie is making $108,000 per year as Ranger’s head basketball coach and athletic director. It’s a job he loves and plans to keep as long as he can.
“This is the best job I’ve ever had,” he said. “This is the last job I’ll ever have. I’ve never been happier.”
According to Ranger College President Bill Campion, Gillispie uses his own money to travel for recruiting, and he personally covered most of the bill for refurbished locker rooms and dorms.
“He’s already put more of his money into the college than that,” said Campion, referring to Gillispie’s $108,000 salary.
It’s good to know UK’s former coach landed back on his feet and in a good place after three years off the grid, following very tough times at Kentucky and Texas Tech. He’ll always have a bad reputation around here, deservedly so, but it’s okay for us to be happy that he bettered himself and he is making a positive difference.
Read more about Gillispie and his new life at Ranger College here.
22 Comments for Billy Gillispie doing well with “the best job he’ll ever have”
Good for him; I hope he has success there.
I hope for the young men who play for him’s sake that it works out well for them, but can’t help but think a leopard can’t change its spots. So, while today, a month from now, and even a year from now things may go well, I can’t help but think at sometime in the future he will revert to the destructive ways. I hope I’m wrong for his player’s sake.
When Stoops leaves without any success are you going to do a punchline story on him too?
Billy is a punchline because of the way he treated people..players, fans, UK admin. Stoops is not a drunk, disrespectful jerk so no, there is no comparison, troll.
So basically, UK is paying for Ranger College’s upgrades.
My thoughts exactly.
amen. and lots of other things i am sure.
Our IT guy at work reminds me so much of Gillispie. He has 4 arrests for stalking women and 2 DUIs. Same shitty attitude.
Billy g didn’t have what it takes and that’s ok. 99% of people couldn’t do this job. Good luck to him and his players.
He was too busy banging his players chick’s lmao
Let’s not be too hard on Gillispie… had he not came here and failed, we wouldnt have Calipari now!
I’ve been saying this for years. Without Billy, there is no Cal.
“This is the last job I’ll ever have.”
This is almost certainly true, for better or for worse.
In the immortal words of America’s greatest President, George W Bush: “There’s an old saying in Tennessee – I know it’s in Texas, probably in Tennessee – that says, fool me once, shame on – shame on you. Fool me – you can’t get fooled again.”
Are we to assume he’s not abusing his players as he did at UK and TT?
Sold out, capacity crowd.
Good for him. All’s well that ends well. Because of that fiasco we got Cal at just the right time to capitalize on John Wall. No Gillespie, who knows where we would be; probably without Cal.
Why would he say it’s the “last job he’ll ever have” only 5 months into the gig? He’s 56 years old. He’s making $108k, which is about 10% of what he could be making in 2-3 years (if he learns how to use Uber). No way he stays there forever. He certainly hasn’t changed his philosophy of speaking before thinking.
He may be serious. Something about him cannot handle the big stage. He is an extreme introvert and is uncomfortable around people (unless we are talking about co-ed girls). He may actually keep this job for awhile. Or at least lower profile, under the radar jobs of small colleges.
Billy G won at UTEP…he won at Texas A&M…this website proclaimed his as the best hire in all of college basketball…and he bought me a beer once! Stoops has won nowhere and never will – call me a troll or whatever you want but facts are facts. Our football coach is horrible and Billy G is long gone.
troll
Your opinions ≠facts