An Oklahoma Woman Is Donating a Kidney to a Former Texas Tech Coach She’s Never Met
Former Texas Tech basketball coach Billy Gillispie needs a kidney transplant "ASAP," and an Oklahoma woman who he has never met wants to donate one to him.
Her name is Ericka Downey, and she is already in the process of the generous offer.
You might remember Billy "Clyde" from his tumultuous ending to his tenure at Texas Tech that ended when he resigned citing health reasons. The ending to the Gillispie Era in Lubbock was a truly wild ride that involved allegations of player mistreatment and 911 calls from Gillispie's house hours before meetings with Kirby Hocutt were scheduled to take place.
Years later, Gillispie returned to coaching at his alma mater, Ranger College. Then, in December 2017, he had a health scare that led to his diagnosis of needing a new kidney.
Enter Ericka Downey, wife of Mark Downey, head men's basketball coach at Division II Northeastern State in Tahlequah, Oklahoma.
According to 247sports.com, Downey felt the call to help. "It was instant," Downey said. "I felt that tug where I said, 'You need to do something.'"
Even though Mark Downey and Billy Gillispie coach in the same circles, the two have never met. But there's a connection, which may be why Ericka Downey felt the need to check into the story.
Regardless of your opinion on Gillispie, especially in Lubbock, this is an incredibly admirable thing to do and something I don't think I would even consider doing for a stranger.