Billy Gillispie - Personal Life

Personal Life

A February 11, 2007 The Dallas Morning News article described Gillispie as a self-professed workaholic during his time at Texas A&M. Despite the fact that he had three assistants who watched opponents' game film and summarized it for him, he sometimes watched as many as fifteen of an opponent's games, often working as late as 2 or 3 a.m. to ensure he had adequate time to devote to the task. He stated that his eight-year marriage ended because he could not find a balance between work and home. With the sheer amount of hours he spent working, Gillispie often did not have time to even shop for groceries, once going as long as six months without any food in his refrigerator.

On August 27, 2009, Gillispie was arrested at 2:45 AM in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky for driving under the influence. A passenger in the 2009 Mercedes Benz C300, Charles O'Connor, was arrested and charged with alcohol intoxication. According to the police report, an officer saw the vehicle swerving and stopped the driver. The officers who were at the scene smelled a strong odor of alcohol, with Gillispie's eyes being red and glassy, with his speech slurred. When asked about his proof of insurance, Gillispie stated that it was in a golf bag in his trunk. He then refused a blood test and a breathalyzer on the scene and was subsequently arrested and taken to the Franklin County jail. Gillispie pleaded not guilty. A judge had scheduled a trial for February 10, 2010 in the case. However, on November 2, 2009, Gillispie changed his plea to guilty under a plea agreement. He was fined $1,028 and must complete an alcohol and drug education course before his Kentucky driver's license can be renewed. He has had two prior DUI arrests, the first in 1999 when he was arrested for driving while intoxicated and improper use of a lane in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He eventually pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of reckless driving. He was arrested again in 2003 in his first year at the University of Texas at El Paso on suspicion of drunken driving, although it was later dismissed based on a lack of evidence.

In September 2009, it was reported that Gillispie had entered an alcohol rehabilitation program and had checked himself in to the John Lucas After Care Program in Houston.