Gus Gilchrist: USF's Package Deal

When Gus Gilchrist, a 6-foot-10, 235-pound center, signed a basketball scholarship with the University of South Florida two months ago, the Bulls landed the most electrifying recruit in program history.

But in doing so, will USF also have to acquire someone else?

Throughout his dizzying basketball travels - at age 18, he already has attended two high schools and signed letters-of-intent with three universities - Gilchrist has been aligned with Terrelle Woody, 38, his personal trainer, adviser and spokesman.

Now, Woody is in line for a job in the USF athletic department, a non-coaching position that has not been advertised and for which school officials say "there is no record" of what the job might pay or what the qualifications are. Woody does not have a college degree.

To many, Gilchrist and Woody might seem like an odd couple, but hiring an individual to secure a recruit - sometimes referred to as a "package deal" - is not against NCAA rules. No less an authority than Sonny Vaccaro said the practice is a necessity.

"It's been happening since the beginning of time," said Vaccaro, 69, who has worked for Nike, adidas and Reebok and is generally considered the Godfather of Summer Basketball. "I don't know what the job qualifications are for Woody's job, but if it's that he's living and breathing, then hire him."

Gilchrist's parents, Augustus Sr. and Donna, stress that their son changed schools four times in 23 months strictly for academic and basketball reasons and not because of Woody.

"My son is there at USF whether Terrelle is there or not," Donna Gilchrist said. "He likes the school. It was not based on Terrelle. Me, my husband and my son - we are the ones that made the decision."

USF coach Stan Heath, charged with turning around a program that has lost 43 of 50 games in Big East play, insisted Woody's potential hiring stretched further than the relationship with one player.

"I think it helps having Woody at USF; it helps this situation, and I think it benefits the program," said Heath, who added that Woody is among "several candidates" being considered for the unposted job.

"Gus might only be here for a year before going to the NBA draft. Woody has more value than Gus. He can help us making inroads in the Washington D.C. area."

USF is experiencing a financial crisis. The university is eliminating 450 jobs - many of which are vacant positions - and plans to lay off 70 people, while reducing the budget by $50.4 million. The school also is reducing the available seats in some classes to counter a shortage of faculty positions.

"I hope the athletic department is not tone deaf for the funding problem across the university," said Sherman Dorn, head of USF's faculty union. "The question I have: Is this particular position appropriate?"

Moving Together

Gilchrist and Woody met in 2005, not surprisingly on a basketball court.

Less than three years later, on April 19, 2008, Woody's wedding day, Gilchrist was his best man.

Not long after they met, Gilchrist switched high schools - his first move in a basketball odyssey that has landed him at USF. He left Friendly High in Fort Washington, Md., which he had attended for three years, for Progressive Christian in Temple Hills, Md., for his senior year in 2006-07.

That was the first year Progressive Christian, established in 1999 as a private elementary school, enrolled seniors and fielded a basketball team.

And it was the same year Woody joined Progressive's coaching staff.

Woody also proctored a Spanish class in which the students learned via video instruction. Eventually, the class was deemed inadequate and the school had to hire a Spanish teacher, The Washington Post reported.

"I was helping Progressive out," Woody said. "Gus also was home-schooled to make sure he was cleared to play in college."

Gilchrist is a rare talent. As a senior, he averaged 22.3 points and 10.3 rebounds and signed with Virginia Tech, but he never attended the school. Four weeks after the shootings on the Blacksburg, Va., campus that killed 33, Gilchrist asked out of his Tech letter-of-intent. Gilchrist's announcement came a week after the Hokies filled the final opening on their coaching staff.

Even with an Atlantic Coast Conference rule stating that a student-athlete transferring to another ACC school would lose a year of eligibility, Gilchrist signed with Maryland in November 2007 and began classes two months later.

Both Woody and Gilchrist's parents said no one at Virginia Tech or Maryland told them Gilchrist would be docked a year. Charles Wellford, Maryland's faculty representative to the ACC the past 13 years, said the Gilchrists and their attorney were aware of the rule before going to UM.

Maryland twice appealed to the ACC so Gilchrist wouldn't lose a year. A month after Gilchrist's second ACC appeal was denied, UM senior associate athletic director Kathleen Worthington discovered Woody was working out Gilchrist and other Maryland players in the Comcast Center. Worthington said it was a possible violation of NCAA rules.

Worthington said she notified Gilchrist and other Maryland players they couldn't use Woody as a personal trainer on campus unless they paid rental fees for the facility. "I never talked to Mr. Woody," Worthington said. "I wish I had."

About the same time Woody was banned from working out Maryland players on campus, he learned he wasn't being considered for the school's strength and conditioning coach position because it required a degree.

Shortly after that, Gilchrist said he wanted to leave Maryland.

Heath: Why Not USF?

Augustus Sr. said that after his son left Maryland he could have signed "with any school in the country," listing the creme de la creme of college basketball programs: "Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Georgetown, Pittsburgh, West Virginia."

Gilchrist chose a program with only two NCAA Tournament trips in its 37-year history; none since 1992.

"If we recruit a top-level guy, everyone asks 'Why did he sign with USF?'" said Heath, who would not allow Gilchrist to be interviewed for this story. "There's some kind of scrutiny. 'Why USF?' Why not?"

Augustus Sr. said his son chose USF because of "the area, the campus and the head coach."

However, others said the main reason was that USF created a job for Woody.

"Terrelle thinks Gus is his Michael Jordan," said Russell Branch, who coached Progressive Christian last season. "Terrelle won't go anywhere unless he has a job. Everyone knows about it. The whole world knows Terrelle. I'm just happy Gus found a good school."

Two weeks after receiving his Maryland release, Gilchrist, accompanied by his parents and Woody, made an unofficial visit to USF. While in Tampa that weekend, Heath said Woody worked at his USF basketball camp.

Less than 48 hours after stepping foot on USF's campus, Gilchrist became the highest-rated recruit to sign with the Bulls.

At the end of June, Gilchrist returned to Tampa for summer school. He was accompanied by Woody, who worked more camps for Heath.

Employing Woody at Heath's USF camps is not against NCAA rules. However, USF refused to release how much Woody was paid and how much money he received for his lodging while in Tampa the past seven weeks.

Vacarro said a major reason coaches cater to these players' "handlers" is because of the NCAA limitations on coaches' recruiting. The coaches must then recruit the player's AAU coach or "adviser," who is often looking to benefit financially.

"If getting a player means bringing the player's sister, you do it," Vacarro said. "I think the people at USF should give Stan a pat on the back. You did it within the NCAA rules.

"The Stan Heaths of the world have to be ingenious with their recruiting. USF could hire Adolph Rupp or John Wooden, but no one's going to win there without players."

In the coming days, USF is expected to appeal to the NCAA on Gilchrist's behalf so he can play immediately. If successful, Gilchrist would have four years of eligibility starting this fall. If the appeal is denied, Gilchrist won't be eligible until the fall of 2009 and will have three years of eligibility at USF - or only one additional semester than he would have had if he remained at Maryland.

Whenever Gilchrist becomes eligible, Woody already has targeted some potential USF teammates from the Northeast.

"Most definitely there are some underclassmen up there I can help with," said Woody, who coached Gilchrist and USF teammates Dominique Jones and Jesus Verdejo this summer to the championship of the Tampa Bay Pro-Am League. "No doubt about it. USF is an excellent situation for any kid to go into."

Heath said it was a unique set of circumstances that brought Gilchrist to USF.

"The bottom line is, Gilchrist is still at Virginia Tech if there is no tragedy," Heath said. "And he's still at Maryland if their appeal goes through."

Perhaps, but Gilchrist isn't at either school.

Woody's best man is right here at USF - with Woody right by his side.