Tarleton State placed men's basketball coach Billy Gillispie on administrative leave on Saturday after an anonymous complaint was made against him. On Monday, though, Gillispie was reinstated after the Texas A&M system completed an employee review and presumably found nothing wrong. No details have been released about the nature of the complaint made against Gillispie at this time.
"We're thankful to the Texas A&M System for working expeditiously in addressing this anonymous complaint," Tarleton State Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Steve Uryasz said in a statement. "The welfare of our student-athletes is of the utmost importance to Tarleton State University and the Texas A&M System. We look forward to the start of the Texan Men's Basketball season."
Tarleton State VP for Intercollegiate Athletics Steve Uryasz announced that the Texas A&M System has concluded its employee conduct review. Tarleton State Men's Basketball head coach Billy Gillispie has been reinstated, effective immediately.
— Tarleton State Athletics (@TarletonSports) October 6, 2025
Story: https://t.co/xmP8H72uSC pic.twitter.com/SmzdHclXE3
This isn't the first time Gillispie has been at the center of such an accusation. Gillispie has faced allegations of player mistreatment in the past when he was the head coach at Texas Tech in 2011 and '12. He resigned as the Red Raiders' coach in '12, citing health issues. There were also allegations of player mistreatment when Gillispie coached Kentucky in the late 2000s. Kentucky and Gillispie reached a $3 million settlement related to the firing in 2009.
Gillispie is entering his sixth season at Tarleton State, where he has gone 78–74. The Texans went 12–20 last season, including 7–9 in the WAC. The 2025-26 season officially tips off on Monday, Nov. 3 for Tarleton State when they face SMU.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Tarleton State Reinstates Basketball Coach Billy Gillispie.
