Former USC Baseball Coach Mike Gillespie Dies

Led Trojans to 1998 College World Series title

Former USC baseball player and coach Mike Gillespie, who led the Trojans to the 1998 College World Series title, has died. He was 80.

Gillespie, a member of the USC Hall of Fame, also took the Trojans to the 1995 College World Series title game. He took the Trojans to the College World Series four times and compiled a record of 763–471–2.

Gillespie also took UC Irvine to the College World Series in 2014.

He was the only USC coach to win a College World Series besides Rod Dedeaux.

Gillespie was one of my favorite coaches at USC. He was funny, brutally honest and wasn't afraid to stand up to himself to administrators. He didn't shy away from speaking his mind, which was great.

He was also a master of getting the most out of baseball teams in an era when only 11.7 scholarships were available. Some of his best teams featured walk-ons.

He was also a member of the 1961 USC College World Series championship team.

USC has one NCAA Tournament appearance since Gillespie was fired in 2006. 

USC second baseman Mike Gillespie with Rod Dedeaux in 1962