Head coach Billy Gillispie announced the addition of Glynn Cyprien to the 2024-25 coaching staff.
“Cyprien is and has been one of the best coaches in NCAA basketball for a long time and we are very lucky to have him here,” said Coach Gillispie. “He can do everything from recruiting to coaching. His greatest asset is caring for and developing the young men he coaches and the teams he has been around always win. He knows everyone in the business and is well thought of by all. His talent and experience will help Tarleton State basketball continue to develop into an emerging Division 1 powerhouse. We are very fortunate to have coach here at Tarleton State.”
Cyprien rejoins Gillispie after serving on his staff when Gillispie was the head coach at the University of Kentucky. He comes to Tarleton after 13 stops as a Division I assistant and four years in professional basketball. Cyprien, widely considered as one of the top coaches and top recruiters in the country, possesses nearly three decades of experience between the NBA, the NBA G League, the NCAA Division I and the Junior Olympic levels. He has served as a head coach, an associate head coach and an assistant coach during his career in addition to extensive executive office experience with the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies.
As an assistant coach, Cyrpien has been part of 552 victories over his 28 seasons at the collegiate level. Serving on the staff at the Division I level, he has appeared in 12 NCAA Tournaments and four National Invitational Tournaments. During his team as a D1 assistant, he helped mentor 16 future NBA draft picks including eight first-round selections. Over his last 20 collegiate seasons, Cyprien has been associated with 18 winning seasons and 12 campaigns with 20-plus victories. His international experience includes a stint as an assistant coach for the Nigerian National Team in the 2019 FIBA Men’s Basketball World Cup in China.
Most recently, He spent one season with Georgia Southern in 2022-23. Prior to his time in Statesboro, he served as an assistant coach for the Nigerian National Basketball Team, He help the squad qualify for both the 2019 FIBA World Cup and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He spent the 2018-19 season at Texas Tech as an assistant coach. He served on the bench during the Red Raiders’ run to the 2019 National Championship game. During the season sophomore Jarrett Culver broke out to become the Big 12 Player of the Year and a consensus All-American. Culver would become Cyprien’s highest drafted player being selected by the Phoenix Suns with the sixth overall pick in 2019.
Cyprien entered the executive area of basketball working in various levels and departments for the Memphis Grizzlies from 2014-18. He spent a year as the head coach of the Memphis Hustle. He was originally hired as the head man for the Iowa Energy, the Memphis Grizzlies affiliate. However, the Grizzlies changed affiliates he actually served as the head coach for the Memphis Hustle during the 2017-18 season. Two of his players, Wayne Selden and and Troy Williams, earned call-ups to the NBA Grizzlies. He led the Hustle during their first year of existence for the youth of the Grizzlies’ organization. During his time with the Grizzlies’ he also served in the draft room, NBA Scout and Director of Player Personnel.
“I’m extremely excited to reunite with Coach Gillispie and continue to build the Tarleton State program,” said Coach Cyprien. “I was fortunate to be a part of his staff at Kentucky. I have learned a lot from him as he is a great motivator, technician, and teacher of the game. No one works harder and demands more, but also cares for their players like he does.”
Cyprien started his career as an assistant coach across 11 Division I programs. He earned his first seat on a women’s coaching staff with UTSA for a trio of seasons. He spent three season spanning from 1987 to 1990 with the Roadrunners. After he left San Antonio he headed to Lamar to join the men’s program for the 1990-91 season. Cyrprien left the Cardinals to spend the next three seasons at Jacksonville University from 1991-94. After one season with the Dolphins he spent 1994-95 with the Hilltoppers of Western Kentucky.
Following Western Kentucky, he made the longest stop of his career at UNLV, spending five seasons with the Runnin’ Rebels. He helped the squad reach four postseasons, including a pair of NCAA Tournaments. During his time at UNLV, he coached future first round picks Shawn Marion (Ninth Overall) and Keon Clark (13th overall). Following his time in Vegas, he headed to Stillwater, Oklahoma to serve on the bench for Oklahoma State. Cyprien spent four seasons spanning from 2000-04 under Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame coach, Eddie Sutton. He helped coach future NBA first-round selections Tony Allen (25th overall) and Joey Graham (16th overall). In 2004, he was on the staff at Oklahoma State while the Cowboys reached the NCAA Final Four semifinals.
He left the Cowboys to spend the 2004-05 season at New Mexico State. Following the 2005-06 season with the Aggies, he left for Fayetteville, Arkansas to spend the 2006-07 season with the Razorbacks. While at Arkansas he coached future NBA veteran Patrick Beverley during the Razorbacks’ run to an NCAA Tournament appearance.
Prior to the 2007-08 season, Cyprien was brought to Kentucky by then Wildcat and now current Texan head coach Gillispie. Cyprien spent both years of Gillispie’s time with the Wildcats on the bench as a part of his staff. The duo helped start the careers of future NBA first round picks Patrick Patterson (14th overall) and Daniel Orton (29th overall) as well as second round picks, Joe Crawford, Jodie Meeks and Darius Miller.
Cyprien then spent the 2009-10 season with the Memphis Tigers before heading to Texas A&M for a three-year stint as an assistant with Texas A&M from 2011-14. He arrived in College Station to help mentor future three-time NBA All-Star and 2021 NBA Champion Khris Middleton in his final collegiate season. Middleton was the 38th overall selection by the Detroit Pistons in the 2012 NBA Draft
Cyprien enjoyed a two-year playing career at Southern University-New Orleans. He was a two-year letter winner for the Knights basketball program. Prior to his collegiate career, he was apart of the Louisiana Junior Olympic. He was a two-year letterman in both basketball and football during his time from 1981-85. During his junior campaign, he earned All-City Honorable Mention for basketball in 1984.
Cyprien added to Tarleton State Basketball Coaching Staff
