Kansas' Bill Self called him one of the best builders of programs in college basketball. Michigan State's Tom Izzo raved about his work ethic. Houston's Kelvin Sampson called it a "grand slam" hire.
Tarleton State made headlines this week by hiring Billy Gillispie as its next men's basketball coach. The Stephenville-based school views Gillispie as the perfect guy to lead the Texans' transition into Division-I and the WAC next season.
The school formally introduced Gillispie with a virtual news conference on Tuesday after reaching a four-year contract with former Texas A&M, Kentucky and Texas Tech coach.
Gillispie expects to make an instant impact.
"We're going in here trying to win," Gillispie said. "We're not trying to win 15 years from now. We're going in trying to win now. It's not a bold statement. It's just a fact. That's what we've said when we took over every single situation we've been at and most of them we've followed through.
"The only way you do that is to get great, great, great players. We will definitely do it again. We have so much to offer in this town, this area, this university."
Gillispie struck the right tone throughout his opening news conference, talking about the peaks and valleys of his career and life.
He vowed to learn from his mistakes, whether it was putting too much pressure on himself and players to win at previous stops such as Texas Tech and Kentucky, or handling situations differently.
For Tarleton State, though, Gillispie is worth the risk given his track record.
He turned UTEP into an NCAA Tournament team in two years. He took a Texas A&M program that was winless in conference play the year before he arrived and had it in the Sweet 16 three years later.
As Tarleton State president Dr. James Hurley said, "Coach Gillispie, like all of us, has encountered a few setbacks and challenges along life's journey that would certainly merit him giving up. But because of the love, compassion and fortitude of people around him, he is here today."
