NORMAL — Illinois State women’s basketball head coach Kristen Gillespie announced the promotion of an assistant coach to associate head coach.
Gillespie announced the promotion of assistant coach (and cousin) Scott Gillespie to the role Friday.
Scott has been an assistant coach since 2017 and was instrumental in the program’s rebuilding.
In his time with the program, the Redbirds made significant improvements. When Gillespie joined, the Redbirds women’s program finished 14-16 in the 2017-18 campaign. They won the Missouri Valley Conference championship this past season. As a result, the Redbirds made their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2008.
“I am thrilled to name Scott as our associate head coach,” Coach Gillespie said. “He’s been instrumental in our program’s success over the past five years. Scott is an elite recruiter, and he has done an amazing job developing our players.”
“I’m so grateful for the opportunity to grow alongside Kristen,” Scott shares. “It’s truly a pleasure to work with our players and staff every day. I’m so proud of what we have accomplished over the past five years. I am [also] excited for what is to come.”
Gillespie was instrumental in the recruitment and guiding of Redbird players TeTe Maggett, JuJu Redmond, and Mary Crompton. Crompton currently holds the team three-pointer field goal records for her freshman (68) and sophomore (64) seasons.
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Jake Leonard, a broadcast media and journalism veteran, is the editor-in-chief of Heartland Newsfeed. Leonard is also GM and program director of Heartland Newsfeed Radio Network, wrestling editor and contributing writer for Ambush Sports, a contributing writer for My Sports Vote and Midwest Sports Network, and a former contributor to Bleacher Report and Overtime Heroics. He resides at home in Nokomis, Ill. with his dog Buster.
