Texas A&M's Gillispie Headed to Kentucky

Apr 06, 10:25 AM

Current Headlines: Billy Gillispie, credited with turning around the Texas A&M men's basketball team, is moving to take over the Kentucky Wildcats basketball program.

The announcement at a news conference Friday ends a search at Kentucky that began when Coach Tubby Smith resigned last month to become coach of the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

Gillispie last week agreed to a new contract with Texas A&M but reports said he never finalized the deal, opening the way to a move to the Wildcats.

Gillispie had a 70-26 record in three years coaching the Aggies. Texas A&M was 27-7 this past season and reached the NCAA Sweet 16 for the first time since 1980.

Previously he was at Texas-El Paso, where he turned a team that lost 24 games one season in a 24-game winner the next.

Kentucky is one of the premier basketball programs in the country and high expectations may have chased Smith away. The Wildcats were 263-83 in Smith's 10 years at Kentucky and finished this season 22-12 with losses in seven of its last 11 games.