Gillespie is Collegiate Baseball's Winningest Coach
April 26, 2006
Gordie Gillespie Interview (courtesy of VSN)
By Tim Clodjeaux,
JOLIET, Ill. --Very few people have even dreamed about watching 1,700 college baseball games. Not only has University of St. Francis head baseball coach Gordie Gillespie seen that many, he has won that many.
Gillespie, college baseball's all-time winningest coach at any level, notched career victories 1,700 and 1,701 April 23 as his Saints swept a doubleheader from visiting Indiana University Northwest, 12-2 and 11-1, at Silver Cross Field.
The two victories gave Gillespie, who turned 80 years old on April 14, a career record of 1,701-880 (.659) in his 54th year as a college head baseball coach.
Gillespie has earned just under half (828) of his wins in 19-plus seasons at USF. He is 24-21 this year in his return to St. Francis. He was 804-488 from 1977 until his "retirement" following the 1995 season. Bob Gillespie, Gordie's son and the director of athletics at Ripon College (Wis.), coaxed his father out of retirement and Gordie coached for 10 seasons (1996-2005), posting a 239-130 mark. He started his collegiate baseball coaching career at Lewis University (Ill.) in 1953 and recorded a 634-241 mark in 24 seasons. He led Lewis to three consecutive NAIA World Series titles from 1974-76 and later directed USF to an NAIA championship in 1993.
In addition to owning the distinction of being college baseball's winningest coach, Gillespie is a member of 15 different Halls of Fame.
Gillespie also has made his mark coaching other sports. He served as head football coach at Joliet Catholic High School from 1959-1985 and compiled a 222-54-6 record in 27 seasons. He directed Joliet Catholic to 10 state playoff appearances and five Illinois state titles in his last 12 years.
By the Numbers-
| Year | School | Record | World Series |
| 1953 | Lewis University (Ill.) | 5-9 | |
| 1954 | Lewis University (Ill.) | 11-5 | |
| 1955 | Lewis University (Ill.) | 12-5 | |
| 1956 | Lewis University (Ill.) | 8-6 | |
| 1957 | Lewis University (Ill.) | 10-8 | |
| 1958 | Lewis University (Ill.) | 11-11 | |
| 1959 | Lewis University (Ill.) | 20-4 | |
| 1960 | Lewis University (Ill.) | 13-10 | |
| 1961 | Lewis University (Ill.) | 21-8 | |
| 1962 | Lewis University (Ill.) | 27-5 | Third Place |
| 1963 | Lewis University (Ill.) | 26-10 | Fifth Place |
| 1964 | Lewis University (Ill.) | 25-8 | |
| 1965 | Lewis University (Ill.) | 25-7 | |
| 1966 | Lewis University (Ill.) | 34-6 | Runner-Up |
| 1967 | Lewis University (Ill.) | 24-11 | |
| 1968 | Lewis University (Ill.) | 23-6 | |
| 1969 | Lewis University (Ill.) | 32-10 | |
| 1970 | Lewis University (Ill.) | 38-17 | |
| 1971 | Lewis University (Ill.) | 43-24 | Third Place |
| 1972 | Lewis University (Ill.) | 46-12 | Fifth Place |
| 1973 | Lewis University (Ill.) | 36-14 | |
| 1974 | Lewis University (Ill.) | 45-14 | CHAMPIONS |
| 1975 | Lewis University (Ill.) | 52-16 | CHAMPIONS |
| 1976 | Lewis University(Ill.) | 47-15 | CHAMPIONS |
| 1977 | University of St. Francis (Ill.) | 28-32 | |
| 1978 | University of St. Francis (Ill.) | 36-24 | Fifth Place |
| 1979 | University of St. Francis (Ill.) | 41-22 | |
| 1980 | University of St. Francis (Ill.) | 44-33 | |
| 1981 | University of St. Francis (Ill.) | 45-35 | |
| 1982 | University of St. Francis (Ill.) | 46-31 | |
| 1983 | University of St. Francis (Ill.) | 42-19 | Sixth Place |
| 1984 | University of St. Francis (Ill.) | 41-17 | |
| 1985 | University of St. Francis (Ill.) | 45-36 | Third Place |
| 1986 | University of St. Francis (Ill.) | 45-29 | Eighth Place |
| 1987 | University of St. Francis (Ill.) | 38-20 | |
| 1988 | University of St. Francis (Ill.) | 46-24 | |
| 1989 | University of St. Francis (Ill.) | 52-21 | Runner-Up |
| 1990 | University of St. Francis (Ill.) | 48-26 | |
| 1991 | University of St. Francis (Ill.) | 28-34 | Third Place |
| 1992 | University of St. Francis (Ill.) | 44-21 | |
| 1993 | University of St. Francis (Ill.) | 46-16 | CHAMPIONS |
| 1994 | University of St. Francis (Ill.) | 40-19 | |
| 1995 | University of St. Francis (Ill.) | 49-17 | Fifth Place |
| 1996 | Ripon College (Wis.) | 14-17 | |
| 1997 | Ripon College (Wis.) | 22-13 | |
| 1998 | Ripon College (Wis.) | 19-16 | |
| 1999 | Ripon College (Wis.) | 27-12 | |
| 2000 | Ripon College (Wis.) | 18-19 | |
| 2001 | Ripon College (Wis.) | 33-9 | |
| 2002 | Ripon College (Wis.) | 27-9 | |
| 2003 | Ripon College (Wis.) | 32-6 | |
| 2004 | Ripon College (Wis.) | 24-14 | |
| 2005 | Ripon College (Wis.) | 23-15 |
