Off the wire

FILE - In this Feb. 22, 2012, file photo, Texas Tech coach Billy Gillispie watches during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Iowa State in Ames, Iowa. Gillispie has been hospitalized for an undisclosed medical issue.  Athletic department spokesman Blayne Beal said the 52-year-old coach was admitted to University Medical Center early Friday, Aug. 31, 2012. He declined to provide further details. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)
FILE - In this Feb. 22, 2012, file photo, Texas Tech coach Billy Gillispie watches during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Iowa State in Ames, Iowa. Gillispie has been hospitalized for an undisclosed medical issue. Athletic department spokesman Blayne Beal said the 52-year-old coach was admitted to University Medical Center early Friday, Aug. 31, 2012. He declined to provide further details. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)

Once a rising star in the college coaching profession, Billy Gillispie was introduced Tuesday as the new coach at Tarleton State, a program preparing for the transition from Division II and five years from even being eligible for the NCAA Tournament. The move comes eight years after one ill-fated season at Texas Tech and two years after the former Kentucky coach had a kidney transplant. Gillispie had been coach the past five years at Ranger College, a junior college about 40 miles from Tarleton State. “This is a very emotional time right now, and it’s a very satisfying thing because it hasn’t come easy,” Gillispie said during an online news conference from the campus in Stephenville, Texas about 70 miles southwest of Fort Worth. “I’ve had opportunities, but it wasn’t the right opportunity. I’ve had so many people try to help me, and help me get back to this point.” Tarleton State announced Monday night that Gillispie, 60, agreed to a four-year contract through the 2023-24 season, a deal pending approval by regents for the Texas A&M system. Gillispie’s first major college job was at the system’s flagship university, Texas A&M, in 2004-07. Gillispie first turned heads after quick rebuilding jobs at UTEP and Texas A&M, which had a 14-victory improvement to 21 victories in his first season and won 27 games in 2006-07 before Kentucky hired him. He was fired after only two seasons when the Wildcats missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 17 years, and he had a two-year hiatus from coaching before his troubled year at Texas Tech. After leaving Kentucky, he had another drunken driving arrest and spent time in a substance-abuse program. The Red Raiders won one Big 12 game in 2011-12 under Gillispie who cited health concerns after being hospitalized twice in a month before resigning in September 2012. Ranger College was 31-7 during Gillispie’s debut in 2015-16, but it had to forfeit those victories because of an ineligible player. He announced his retirement midway through his second season at Ranger saying he was taking the advice of doctors after battling high blood pressure. But he returned before the 2017-18 season, and the team reached the national junior college championship game in 2019, a year after his kidney transplant. Ranger was 28-3 this season.

Mizzou 3 enter draft

Missouri sophomore Xavier Pin-son and juniors Mitchell Smith and Jeremiah Tilmon announced Tuesday that they would enter the NBA Draft, though none of them intends to hire an agent and all could return to school next season. Tigers Ccoach Cuonzo Martin said in a statement that he supports their decision to receive information from the NBA’s advisory committee. The deadline to withdraw from the draft is June 3.

Nnaji declares

Zeke Nnaji has declared for the NBA Draft after one productive season at Arizona. The 6-11 forward dominated at times, averaging 16.1 points and 8.6 rebounds while shooting 57% from the floor. He was named Pac-12 freshman of the year and was a first-team All-Pac-12 selection.

FOOTBALL

Seattle drops 2

The Seattle Seahawks cleared a chunk of salary cap space by waiving safety Tedric Thompson and releasing veteran tight end Ed Dickson on Tuesday. Both moves were expected after each player seemed to fall out of favor with the Seahawks and will clear more than $5 million worth of cap space for Seattle. According to overthecapcom , Seattle was down to $11.3 million of cap space as the team sought to bring back defensive end Jadeveon Clowney. Thompson, a fourth-round pick by Seattle in 2017, was a starter at the beginning of last season, but a shoulder injury landed him on injured reserve. With Thompson sidelined, the Seahawks acquired Quandre Diggs from Detroit. Dickson’s career in Seattle never really got started. He played in 10 games in 2018 and had 12 receptions and three touchdowns after starting the year on the non-football injury list. Last season, Dickson was slowed by a knee injury before the season began but was activated to the roster in November. He was on the roster for just two days before being placed on season-ending injured reserve.

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