Former Oklahoma State assistant Robert Gillespie leaves Dana Holgorsen’s staff at West Virginia

Oklahoma State’s first Big 12 contest against West Virginia in 2012 also doubled as a bit of a coaching reunion, with former Cowboy staff members Dana Holgorsen, Joe DeForest, Robert Gillespie, Jake Spavital and Andrew McGee all occupying the visitors’ sideline at Boone Pickens last November.

The 2013 reunion just lost another member.

Gillespie took the running backs coaching position at Tennessee over the weekend, Volunteer head coach Butch Jones first announced via his Twitter account.

“I want to welcome Robert Gillespie & his family to the Tennessee Football Family! Coach Gillespie will be joining our staff as the RB coach!” the post said.

Gillespie, who left OSU for WVU with Holgorsen following the 2010 season, was one of only two assistants remaining from Holgorsen’s original Mountaineer staff. Gillespie is familiar with the SEC, as he played for Steve Spurrier at Florida and later coached running backs on Spurrier’s staff at South Carolina from 2006-08.