Mike Gillespie (baseball) facts for kids
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Gillespie in 2011
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| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 7, 1940 Los Angeles, California |
| Died | July 29, 2020 (aged 80) Irvine, California |
| Playing career | |
| 1960–1961 | USC |
| Position(s) | Infielder / Outfielder |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1971–1986 | College of the Canyons |
| 1987–2006 | USC |
| 2007 | Staten Island Yankees |
| 2008–2018 | UC Irvine |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1977–1986 | Canyons |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | College: 1,156–720–2 (.616) Professional: 47–28 (.627) |
| Tournaments | NCAA: 75–44 (.630) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
As player:
As head coach: |
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| Awards | |
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Michael James Gillespie (born May 7, 1940 – died July 29, 2020) was a famous American college baseball coach. He was the main coach for the USC team from 1987 to 2006. Later, he coached the UC Irvine team. Coach Gillespie led USC to win the 1998 College World Series. He also won the College World Series as a player in 1961. This makes him one of the few people to win it both as a player and a coach!
Contents
Mike Gillespie's Baseball Journey
Early Coaching Days
Mike Gillespie began his coaching journey at the College of the Canyons. This is a type of college in California. He started the school's baseball team in 1971. For sixteen seasons, he was the head coach there. His team had a great record of 420 wins and 167 losses.
Coaching at USC
Gillespie became the head coach for the USC team in 1987. He coached them for many years, until 2006. During his time at USC, his team won 763 games.
His biggest win was leading USC to the 1998 College World Series championship. They also made it to the College World Series in 1995, 2000, and 2001. In 1995, his team even played in the championship game.
Many of his players went on to play in Major League Baseball. Some famous players he coached include Mark Prior, Barry Zito, and Aaron Boone. He left USC on June 2, 2006.
Playing Days at USC
Before coaching, Mike Gillespie was also a baseball player at USC. He played for coach Rod Dedeaux. In 1961, he was part of the USC team that won the College World Series. This means he won the College World Series as both a player and a coach! Only one other person, Jerry Kindall, has done this.
After Gillespie left USC, his daughter's husband, Chad Kreuter, became the new head coach.
Coaching at UC Irvine
In September 2007, Gillespie became the coach for the UC Irvine baseball team. He took over from Dave Serrano. Serrano had just led the Anteaters to their first College World Series appearance.
On January 8, 2010, Mike Gillespie was honored. He was inducted into the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Hall of Fame. This is a special award for great coaches.
Professional Baseball Experience
For a short time, Gillespie also coached in professional baseball. On February 2, 2007, he became the manager for the New York–Penn League Staten Island Yankees. He coached them for one season. His team had a record of 47 wins and 28 losses.
Later Life and Passing
Mike Gillespie passed away on July 29, 2020, in Irvine, California. He was 80 years old. He had been dealing with lung problems and had a stroke before he died.
