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Joe Gillespie arrived at TCU in December 2021 as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. Gillespie previously spent seven seasons at Tulsa, including the final three as defensive coordinator. He was a high school football coach for 20 years in the state of Texas. In 2020, Gillespie was named National Linebackers Coach of the Year by FootballScoop and was a finalist for Defensive Coordinator of the Year. At Tulsa, Gillespie coached consensus All-America linebacker Zaven Collins, who won the 2020 Chuck Bednarik Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Lombardi Award. Collins was selected by the Arizona Cardinals as the 16th-overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Gillespie helped transition the Hurricane from a base 4-man front to a 3-3-5 alignment, and the defensive numbers improved dramatically. The Hurricane ended the 2018 regular season with the nation’s eighth-best pass defense and held opponents to more than 120 yards less in total offense than a year earlier. Gillespie was a part of three bowl teams with the Hurricane, including the 2015 Independence Bowl, 2016 Miami Beach Bowl and 2020 Armed Forces Bowl. Before coming to Tulsa, Gillespie served seven years (2008-14) as the athletic director and head football coach at Stephenville High School. His teams compiled a 72-23 record (.758), winning a 2012 state championship, three district titles while sharing one and advancing to the state playoffs seven times. The 2012 Yellow Jackets went 13-1 en route to their Class 3A state title. A year later, in 2013, Stephenville was 12-2 and advanced to the Class 4A state semifinals. Gillespie’s 2014 team finished 9-4 and reached the state quarterfinal round. In his first season, Gillespie led Stephenville to a 10-4 record and a quarterfinal appearance in the 2008 Class 4A state playoffs. His 2009 team recorded a 9-3 mark and was undefeated in District 7-4A. In 2010, the Yellow Jackets advanced to the Class 4A state quarterfinals. The 2011 team went 11-3 and again reached the Class 4A state quarterfinals. Gillespie earned District Coach of the Year honors four times (2009, 2011, 2012 and 2013) and was the Big Country Coach of the Year on three occasions (2008, 2011 and 2012). Among the many eventual college players Gillespie coached at Stephenville was NFL quarterback Jarrett Stidham. Before becoming Stephenville's head coach in February 2008, Gillespie served 13 years as an assistant coach at the school. He coached under Art Briles for five years, Texas High School Hall of Honor inductee Mike Copeland for three seasons and Chad Morris for five years. As an assistant coach, Gillespie helped lead Stephenville to state titles in 1998 and 1999. Gillespie coached linebackers and safeties under Morris and was the co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach under Copeland. A Stephenville native, Gillespie earned his bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from Angelo State in 1994. Gillespie and his wife, Jodi, have three children: sons Josh and Jake, daughter Chelsea and son-in-law Tyler as well as grandson Emmerson and granddaughter Ayla.