Occupation Baseball Coach Name Mike Gillespie | Role Baseball Coach | |
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Born May 7, 1940 (age 83) ( 1940-05-07 ) Los Angeles, California, U.S. Known for Head Coach for USC 1987-2006 Education University of Southern California | ||
Mike Gillespie (born May 7, 1940) is a college baseball head coach best known for leading the University of Southern California Trojans from 1987 to 2006. He coached the Trojans to the 1998 College World Series (CWS) championship. Currently, Gillespie coaches the UC Irvine Anteaters baseball team.
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College
Gillespie started his coaching career at the College of the Canyons, a California junior college. He started the school's baseball program in spring 1971 after the school's fall 1969 founding. In sixteen seasons as head coach, he had a 420–167 record.
Gillespie posted a 763–471–2 (.618) record as the coach of USC. In addition to the 1998 championship, he led USC to the CWS in 1995, 2000 and 2001, with the 1995 team advancing to the title game. In 2005, 13 former players coached by Gillespie were playing in Major League Baseball, while six of his former players were All-Stars including (Mark Prior, Barry Zito, Aaron Boone, Bret Boone, and Geoff Jenkins in 2003, and Morgan Ensberg in 2005). He left USC following the 2006 season.
Gillespie also played baseball at USC under coach Rod Dedeaux, and was a member of the 1961 College World Series champions. Along with Jerry Kindall, he is one of only two individuals who have both played for and coached a College World Series champion. He was succeeded as USC's head coach by Chad Kreuter, a former major league catcher who is also married to Gillespie's daughter Kelly.
In September 2007, Gillespie was named coach UC Irvine's baseball team, replacing Dave Serrano, who had just guided the Anteaters to their first CWS appearance but left to take over at Cal State Fullerton, his alma mater, after George Horton left Fullerton to head the new program at Oregon.
On January 8, 2010, Gillespie was inducted into the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Hall of Fame.
Professional
On February 2, 2007, Gillespie was named manager of the New York–Penn League Staten Island Yankees. He replaced Gaylen Pitts, who led the team to its second consecutive New York–Penn League Championship.
Head coaching record
Below is a table of Gillespie's yearly records as an NCAA head baseball coach.