July 12, 2012

2012 Coaching Changes  

Gillispie named head coach at Youngstown State

Former Jacksonville State assistant coach Steve Gillispie has been chosen as the new head coach at Youngstown State.

Gillispie was hitting coach and recruiting coordinator with the Gamecocks for the past 11 seasons. He helped JSU record nine 30-win seasons and go 152-79 (.658) in Ohio Valley Conference contests since joining the league in 2004. The Gamecocks won either the regular season or tournament title five times in nine years.

During his time at JSU, Gillespie worked with a two-time OVC Player of the Year, three OVC Freshmen of the Year, 23 first team all-conference selections, eight Freshman All-Americans and 135 academic all-conference players. There were 19 JSU players drafted or signed to professional contracts over the past 11 years.

In the annual CBI preseason survey of OVC coaches, Gillispie was voted the assistant coach most reading for a head coaching job each of the past four years.

A former assistant at Nebraska, Utah and UAB, Gillispie was the Southeastern Area Scouting Supervisor for the Philadelphia Phillies for four years.

A native of Beatrice, Neb., Gillispie played at Northwest Missouri State and Fort Hays State. Gillispie, 48, and his wife, Denise, have a daughter, Morgan.