Gillispie addresses new contract with A&M, Arkansas and Kentucky speculation

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The Texas A&M Board of Regents on Friday made men’s basketball coach Billy Gillispie the second-highest paid coach in the Big 12 and among the top 10 in the nation.

The board increased an original proposal that would have paid Gillispie $1.5 million annually, and instead approved a deal worth $1.75 million that could increase with performance incentives. The new deal was extended three years to 2015.

Arkansas had strongly pursued Gillispie after it fired Stan Heath on Monday. Gillispie did not comment on his status all week as speculation grew that he could become the new coach of the Razorbacks.

Gillispie, 47, said he preferred to stay silent rather than address rumors and speculation. He said he never had contact with anyone from Arkansas.

“That was one of the hardest things, not being able to say anything. I love where I am,” Gillispie said in a phone conversation from Atlanta, where he is attending Final Four festivities. “There was never any contact made. I don’t have an agent. I read a lot of the things that were supposedly being said. Those things weren’t true. There was never a conversation.

“I don’t think it’s wise for a coach to start defending speculation without a real substantiated situation.”

Gillispie is due back in College Station on Monday, but he said he didn’t know when he would be presented the contract to sign. He said he has an “agreement” and plans to sign when the contract is presented.

Gillispie’s new deal does not include a buyout clause. The door is not closed on a possible overture from Kentucky, which is searching for a new coach after Tubby Smith left for Minnesota.

Florida coach Billy Donovan, a former assistant at Kentucky, is reportedly the frontrunner for the job. Donovan’s Gators face UCLA in one of today’s national semifinals, and no movement is expected on that front until after Monday’s national championship game.

If Donovan does not take the Kentucky job, the candidate pool will widen and Gillispie’s name has been included as a potential candidate. When asked if he would entertain an inquiry from Kentucky since the legendary program could be considered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Gillispie said, “I consider Texas A&M a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

When asked if he would be the coach at A&M next season, Gillispie said, “Why wouldn’t I? That is not a question that needs to be asked right now. Is there anything substantial to anything like that?”

Gillispie’s new contract provides a $550,000 raise. Gillispie had received raises of $300,000 after each of the past two seasons. He will receive a $1 million payment if he remains at A&M through 2012, as was stipulated by his previous contract, and he will receive an additional $750,000 payment if he remains through 2015.

Texas coach Rick Barnes is the highest-paid coach in the Big 12 at $1.8 million. Kansas coach Bill Self, Gillispie’s mentor, makes $1.6 million.

“This is a very, very, happy day,” Gillispie said. “I’m celebrating today because of the continued commitment from Texas A&M.

“They’ve been committed since Day One. I’ve never questioned their commitment, and this is just another thing that they didn’t have to do and they did. Bill Byrne is an athletic director that is proactive instead of reactive.

“That’s something that really doesn’t happen in any profession, where you have a boss like that trying to do everything he can to give us a chance to win. I’m grateful to all of them — the university, the board of regents and Bill Byrne.”

Gillispie, who led A&M to a school-record 27 victories this season and the program’s first Sweet 16 appearance since 1980, has guided the Aggies to three consecutive 20-win seasons. He is 70-26 overall in three seasons at A&M.

“Last year we talked about the commitment of the new practice facility, additional support staff and improving the marketing of our basketball programs,” Byrne said in a statement released by the athletic department. “Along those lines we started re-working coach Gillispie’s contract a couple of months ago, while he was focused on winning basketball games. The proper time to finalize details of a contract is at the end of a coach’s season.”

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GILLISPIE’S CONTRACT

A look at Texas A&M basketball coach Billy Gillispies new contract:

Total compensation: $1.75 million a season through 2015.

BONUSES At A&M through 2012: $1 million At A&M through 2015: $750,000

INCENTIVES Big 12 regular-season title: $41,667 Big 12 conference tournament title: $41,667 NCAA Tournament or NIT berth: $41,667 NCAA Sweet 16 appearance: $25,000 NCAA Final Four appearance: $25,000 Wins national title: $50,000 NIT semifinal appearance: $15,000 Wins the NIT title: $25,000

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