OFFICIAL: Gerald Gillion named Chicago State head men’s basketball coach

Chicago State has officially hired Gerald Gillion as the Cougars’ next head men’s basketball coach, the school announced on Monday. Gillion spent last season as an assistant and lead recruiter at Samford.

“I’d like to thank President Z. Scott and AD Elliott Charles for believing in my vision for Chicago State,” said Gillion. “Winning is about mentality and development. You have to believe you are going to win and work your butt off every day proving yourself right. Amateur athletes have the advantage of ignorance. They don’t know any limitations. If you give me five players who know no limits, I’ll give you championships every year!”

Gillion also has stints at Tennessee Tech, South Florida and FIU on his resume and before moving up to the college ranks, he made waves on the high school and AAU circuits in Tallahassee, Florida.

“Coach Gillion is a tremendously talented recruiter and mentor to students,” Charles said in a statement. “Gerald has proven that academic, career and leadership development and social engagement of student-athletes are at the center of his competitive approach. His track record of focus on the holistic development of student-athletes has benefitted the prospective student recruitment outcomes at all of his previous institutions.”

Chicago State is entering its final season as a member of the WAC, with no future plans officially announced as of this writing. The Cougars have never been to the NCAA Tournament or NIT and have fallen on particularly tough times in the last decade, having finished well-below .500 every year since 2009. The school parted ways with former head coach Lance Irvin earlier this month following a 7-63 tenure that included a 0-30 WAC record.

credit to Chicago State Athletics for the image