Star-Telegram?Gillispie

[50's PONY]

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Posted on Mon, Mar. 22, 2004



A&M needs Gillispie, not other way around

By Mike Jones
Star-Telegram Staff Writer

The future of the men's basketball program at Texas A&M -- and whether there is one worth mentioning -- could well be determined this week.

All signs still point to UT-El Paso coach Billy Gillispie. But accurately informed sources -- a pertinent distinction -- continue to stress, "this is not a done deal."

We should know soon whether Aggies athletic director Bill Byrne can put this package together, a deal that -- along with the recent additions of football coach Dennis Franchione and women's basketball coach Gary Blair -- would signal a completely new and refreshing direction for the entire athletic department.

I like Byrne's sense of purpose and direction. But there are some things to keep in mind. Money is no object, but Gillispie isn't about money. It's Byrne's job to convince him the position is something more than a career-killer.

As I've repeatedly mentioned, it's time for A&M to put up or shut up, and the fact that Gary Blair is on staff lends you to believe the Aggies have and will do the former.

Do something about an unrealistic academic approach, and indications are that's being done under a new impetus from the board of regents and the president's office. Get a scoreboard. Change the atmosphere at Reed Arena. Give the program money to buy some decent games and play at home most of December.

Gillispie's close friends might call him Billy Clyde, but he's as sharp as he is genuine, Texas-friendly and good at what he does. He is interested in the Aggies, but he's not going to buy a promise without some hard guarantees.

First of all, Gillispie has a good job. And there are better-perceived jobs than A&M that will eventually come calling at Billy's door.

UTEP is putting together a new package that won't come close to approaching the kind of money A&M will offer. But he has job security, has most of his team coming back next year and he has already put the Miners in position to contend for an NCAA Tournament bid on a yearly basis in a conference whose stock rose considerably with the Miners' near-upset of Maryland and Western Athletic Conference co-champ Nevada's stunning knockout of No. 1 seed Stanford. (UTEP and Nevada split regular-season games. The Wolfpack won the tournament championship 66-60.)

Gillispie made planned recruiting rounds over the weekend, going from the national junior college tournament in Kansas to a couple of high school events in the Dallas and Houston areas before returning to El Paso on Sunday night.

Aha, you say. Probably met up with Byrne somewhere. Didn't happen. To date, the two have had nothing more than a relatively brief phone conversation. Gillispie promised UTEP boss Bob Stull that he would sit down with him before he would open any serious talks with A&M. Those who know Gillispie say he does what he says he's going to do. Period.

Sunday, Gillispie stressed that everything he has done this weekend "has been in my capacity as the basketball coach at UTEP, and that's what I am going to continue to do."

In addition to meeting with his AD today, Gillispie has a TV show to tape, his weekly media gathering (which should be interesting) and a radio show to do that night. After that, who knows?

Admittedly, I had originally surmised -- based on educated opinions -- that Gillispie would show up at A&M early this week. But Gillispie has been to campus, he has seen the arena. He doesn't need a Gray Line tour.

My guess now is it wouldn't be out of the realm for Byrne and A&M President Robert Gates to hop in the corporate jet for El Paso and try to cut a deal out there, and the first time Gillispie shows up on campus is for an introductory news conference.

But it's up to A&M to pull that off. I don't see Gillispie as the needy party in this deal.


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Mike Jones, (817) 390-7760 [email protected]





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© 2004 Star Telegram and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.
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[LA_Mustang]

Someone needs to tell Mike Jones that Nevada beat Gonzaga not Stanford. Thats a pretty big oversight for a major paper like the Star-Telegram.

[PlanoStang]

Someone needs to tell Mike Jones that Nevada beat Gonzaga not Stanford. Thats a pretty big oversight for a major paper like the Star-Telegram.

They don't call it the "Startle Gram" for nuthin you know