Report: Billy Gillispie will not return to Tarleton State in 2026-27

Tarleton State head coach Billy Gillispie will not return to the program next season. CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein reported the news on Friday afternoon.

Heading into the 2025-26 season (his seventh with the program), Gillispie had led the Texans to a 78-74 record with a CBI appearance in 2023 and a CIT appearance in 2024. This season, Tarleton State sits at 14-13 overall. Gillispie has not coached since January as he continues to deal with health issues.

The Texas native made his return to coaching in Division I with Tarleton for the 2020-21 season. Following dismissals from Kentucky in 2009 and Texas Tech and 2012, Gillispie spent 2015-2020 with Ranger College. While there, Billy G led the program to a 134-31 record with three NJCAA Tournament appearances.

Sources: Tarleton State's Billy Gillispie will not return in 2026-27.

Gillispie has been dealing with health issues throughout this season and has not coached since January.

The school will begin a national search for his replacement at the conclusion of this season.

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) February 20, 2026

Gillispie’s Division I head coaching career actually began back in 2002 at UTEP, where he spent two seasons before latching on with Texas A&M. He was a smash hit with the Aggies, as he led them to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 19 seasons in 2006. That season, they advanced to the Round of 32, and they took one step further to the Sweet Sixteen in 2007 (fourth appearance in school history).

Billy Gillispie is most well known for disastrous stint at Kentucky

This Sweet Sixteen run in 2007 included a Round of 32 victory over Louisville inside Rupp Arena just five days before Kentucky head coach Tubby Smith resigned and bolted to Minnesota. This win and program overhaul in College Station caught the eye of Kentucky Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart, who officially hired Gillispie on April 6, 2007.

His run in Lexington, however, was nothing short of a disaster. Along with a laundry list full of wild stories regarding his tenure, Gillispie led the Wildcats to a 40-27 record over his two seasons in charge. He was actually named SEC Coach of the Year in 2007-08 and led Kentucky to the NCAA Tournament after opening the season with a 6-7 record, but failed to make the tournament in 2009 and was let go.

His firing was the stuff of legend. Gillispie mysteriously disappeared while news was breaking and was chased around the Joe Craft Center by local media when he arrived at the facility.

“(LEX 18‘s Alan) Cutler chased him down the hall,” KSR‘s Ryan Lemond said. “It was one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen. When John Calipari was hired, in middle of his news conference, he pointed at Alan and said, ‘Did you really chase that guy down the hallway?’”

As his Tarleton State tenure winds down, Gillispie’s future remains unknown.