University of Tulsa Defensive Coordinator and Linebackers coach Joseph Gillespie has been selected as the FootballScoop Linebackers Coach of the Year presented by AstroTurf.

Gillespie completed his sixth season coaching the linebackers and his second full season as defensive coordinator.

Gillespie tutored Consensus All-America linebacker and the 2020 Chuck Bednarik, Bronko Nagurski Trophy and the Lombardi Award Winner Zaven Collins. During the season, the Chuck Bednarik, Walter Camp and Bronko Nagurski Defensive Player of the Week awards in three separate weeks and earned The American’s Defensive Player of the Week four times.

Justin Wright led Tulsa with 63 tackles over nine games en route to earning second-team all-conference honors, and senior Treyvon Reeves ranked fifth on the team with 43 stops.

Under Gillespie’s direction, the Tulsa defense was ranked second in The American for total defense, scoring defense, rushing defense, pass defense and pass defense efficiency. Tulsa also ranked among the nation’s best defenses for a variety of statistical categories. The Hurricane held opponents to 333.6 total yards (19th in NCAA) and 21.6 points per game (27th in NCAA). Tulsa also ranked 18th for fewest passing yards, 19th nationally in pass efficiency defense, 20th in red zone defense and 43rd in rushing defense.