| Current position | |
|---|---|
| Title | Assistant head coach & running backs coach |
| Team | Alabama |
| Conference | SEC |
| Biographical details | |
| Born | November 2, 1979 Hattiesburg, Mississippi |
| Playing career | |
| 1998–2001 | Florida |
| 2002 | Washington Redskins |
| Position(s) | Running back |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 2005 | South Carolina (GA) |
| 2006–2008 | South Carolina (RB) |
| 2009–2010 | Oklahoma State (RB) |
| 2011–2012 | West Virginia (RB) |
| 2013–2017 | Tennessee (RB) |
| 2018–2020 | North Carolina (RB) |
| 2021–present | Alabama (AHC/RB) |
Robert Nolan Gillespie (born November 2, 1979) is an American college football coach and former player. He is the assistant head coach and running backs coach for the University of Alabama, positions he has held since 2021. Gillespie played in the National Football League (NFL) for two seasons in the early 2000s with the Washington Redskins and Jacksonville Jaguars. He played college football for the University of Florida.
Gillespie was born in Los Angeles, California in 1979. [1] He attended Hattiesburg High School in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and he was a standout high school football player for the Hattiesburg Tigers, rushing for 1,957 yards and twenty-six touchdowns, with another 700 yards receiving. [1] As a senior in 1997, he was a SuperPrep high school All-American. [1]
Gillespie accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, [1] where he played for coach Steve Spurrier's Florida Gators football team from 1998 to 2001. [2] Spurrier would often rotate Gillespie in and out of games with the Gators' other tailback, Earnest Graham, and the two backs shared time at the position. [1] In four college seasons, he totaled 1,854 yards rushing; he was also a sure-handed receiver out of the Gators' backfield, and became the second all-time Gators running back in career receptions (96) and receiving yards (1,091). [2] He was a team captain during his senior season in 2001, and the Gators defeated the Maryland Terrapins 56–23 in the Orange Bowl, and finished 10–2 and ranked third in both major polls. [2]
After his professional playing career was over, Gillespie returned to Gainesville and completed his bachelor's degree in exercise and sports science in 2005. [3]
The Washington Redskins, then led by the former Gators coach Spurrier, signed Gillespie as an undrafted free agent in 2002, and he played for the Redskins for a single season in 2002. He also played for the Frankfurt Galaxy in the NFL Europa in 2003.
Gillespie started his coaching career as a graduate assistant for the University of South Carolina under Gamecocks head coach Steve Spurrier in 2005, and he was promoted to running backs coach the following season. [4]
After four seasons as a Gamecocks assistant, Gillespie accepted an offer to become the new running backs coach for Oklahoma State University under from Cowboys head coach Mike Gundy in January 2009. [5] In his first season with his new team in 2009, the Cowboys led the Big 12 Conference in rushing offense. [6]
In 2011, Gillespie became the West Virginia Mountaineers running backs coach at West Virginia University. [7]
In 2013 Gillespie was named the running backs coach for the Tennessee Volunteers football until parting ways mid February 2018 [8]
In March 2018, Gillespie was named as running backs coach at the University of North Carolina. [9] He coached NFL running backs Antonio Williams, Michael Carter, and Javonte Williams during his tenure as the Tar Heels' RB coach. Carter (2019, 2020) and Javonte Williams (2020) posted 1,000-yard rushing seasons under Gillespie.
In January 2021, Gillespie was named as running backs coach at the University of Alabama replacing Charles Huff, who left to become the head coach at Marshall. [10]
Emmitt James Smith III is an American former professional football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, 13 as a member of the Dallas Cowboys and 2 seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. Among other accolades, he is the league's all-time leading rusher.
Stephen Orr Spurrier is an American former football player and coach. He played ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL) before coaching for 38 years, primarily in college. He is often referred to by his nickname, "the Head Ball Coach". He played college football as a quarterback for the Florida Gators, where he won the 1966 Heisman Trophy. The San Francisco 49ers selected him in the first round of the 1967 NFL draft, and he spent a decade playing in the National Football League (NFL) mainly as a backup quarterback and punter. Spurrier was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1986.
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Christopher Paul Doering is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL) during the 1990s and 2000s. Doering played college football for the Florida Gators, earning second-team All-American honors in 1995. He played professionally for the Indianapolis Colts, the Denver Broncos, the Washington Redskins, and the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL.
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Cedric Delon Smith is an American former college and professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons during the 1990s. Smith played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, Washington Redskins and Arizona Cardinals of the NFL. Smith was an assistant strength & conditioning coach with the Denver Broncos from 2017 to 2020. He is currently the Head Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Dallas Cowboys. He is entering his 15th season as an NFL strength and conditioning coach, Smith has seven years of experience leading the strength and conditioning programs for the Houston Texans (2010–13) and Kansas City Chiefs (2007–09).
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The 1966 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the sport of American football during the 1966 NCAA University Division football season. The Gators competed in the University Division of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Southeastern Conference (SEC). In their seventh season under head coach Ray Graves, the Gators compiled a 9–2 overall win–loss record, finished 5–1 and placed third among the SEC's ten teams. Led by quarterback Steve Spurrier, the Gators outscored their opponents by a combined total of 265 to 147 and concluded their 1966 season with a 27–12 victory over the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the 1967 Orange Bowl. The Gators were not ranked in the final AP Poll, but finished No. 11 in the final UPI Coaches Poll.
Larry Sylvesta Brinson is a former American college football coach and a former football running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and Seattle Seahawks. He played college football at the University of Florida.
Charles Kimberlin Helton is an American college and professional football coach. He served as the head football coach of the University of Houston from 1993 to 1999, compiling a record of 24–53–1. His sons Clay and Tyson Helton both rose to also become college football head coaches.
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Elijah Elgebra Williams is an American former college and professional football player who was a defensive back and kick returner in the National Football League (NFL) for four seasons during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Williams played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter he played professionally for the Atlanta Falcons of the NFL.
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