Jim Cowsert-US PRESSWIRE
Texas Tech athletic director Kirby Hocutt announced late Tuesday evening that associate head coach Chris Walker would assume the day-to-day operations for the Texas Tech men’s basketball program.
Head coach Billy Gillispie checked himself into the Mayo Clinic earlier in the day and continues a medical leave of absence from the university.
Despite a number of circulating rumors, Hocutt will continue to hold off on making a decision regarding Gillispie, until he has recovered and the two can discuss the allegations and reports against him. In addition to NCAA practice rule violations, Gillispie is also being accused of player mistreatment during his 18 months as head coach. In his tenure at Lubbock, 15 players have prematurely left the Red Raiders’ program.
Just the other day in fact, leading scorer and sophomore Jordan Tolbert told ESPN‘s Andy Katz that he did not want to Gillispie to return.
While the saga between Texas Tech, Billy Gillispie and his players continues, Walker assumes charge, but Hocutt did not attach an “interim” tag to his position. For the time being, Walker will remain the team’s associate head coach, but handle the ongoing day-to-day activities.
Walker, a Villanova alum, spent two seasons as an assistant under current Wildcats’ head coach Jay Wright before joining Gillispie’s staff. Prior to returning to his Alma Mater, Walker had prior assistant coaching stints at New Mexico, UMass, Pepperdine, Vanderbilt, and Loyola Marymount.
It remains unclear how long Gillispie’s treatment at the Mayo Clinic will last.
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