Billy Gillispie, who preceded John Calipari as men's basketball coach at Kentucky, is retiring due to health concerns, he told The Dallas Morning News on Wednesday night.
The 57-year-old Gillispie had been coaching at Ranger College, a community college in Texas where he played in the 1970s.
"No one's ever enjoyed coaching more than I have, I promise, and no one's ever been luckier in the coaching profession than I have," Gillispie told the Morning News. "What a wonderful career!
"I've been very sick with blood pressure issues since the summer, but I've tried to fight it out.