CARY, N.C. - USA Baseball Executive Director and CEO Paul Seiler released a statement following the passing of Mike Gillespie on Wednesday. Gillespie served on a Collegiate National Team staff twice in his legendary baseball career: first as an assistant coach in 1997 and then as the manager in 2000.
"Mike Gillespie was a proven winner on the field as both a player and coach, and USA Baseball is saddened by the news of his passing. We hold his achievements in the game in the highest regard and it is an honor to call him an alumnus of Team USA. We offer our deepest condolences to his wife and children, and to the many athletes who were fortunate to be mentored by him during his Hall of Fame career."
Gillespie was named the Collegiate National Team Manager in 2000 after a successful stint as an assistant coach in 1997. With a roster filled with future Major Leaguers such as Jeff Baker, Ryan Howard, Xavier Nady, Mark Prior and Mark Teixeira, Team USA finished the summer with a 27-3-1 overall record. The stars and stripes won all four of its international friendship series over Mexico, Japan, Korea and Chinese Taipei, and won a gold medal in the XXI Haarlem Baseball Week with an 8-5 victory over Cuba in the finals.
An American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Famer, Gillespie is one of only two men to win a College World Series title as a coach and a player, joining fellow former Collegiate National Team coach and longtime USA Baseball advisor Jerry Kindall. Gillespie won a title at USC as a player in 1961 and he eventually led the Trojans to a national championship in 1998 as the head coach. He amassed a 1,156-886-2 overall record as a Division I head coach in his 31 seasons at USC and UC Irvine.
Gillespie passed away at the age of 80.