'Ultimate Sacrifice' Made For Former TU Coach

A Green Country woman is recovering after making what one man said is the ultimate sacrifice. 

Ericka Downey, the wife of Northeastern State basketball coach Mark Downey, offered to give a kidney to former TU assistant and Kentucky and Texas Tech head coach Billy Gillispie.

3/25/2018 Related Story: Tahlequah Woman To Donate Kidney To College Basketball Coach

The surgery was a success Tuesday at the Mayo Clinic. Downey said that she doesn't feel like it's an ultimate sacrifice but Gillispie respectfully disagrees.

"I love people that sacrifice. That's really been my whole deal from my whole life, especially in my profession - to get teams and players to sacrifice for each other. But this is the ultimate sacrifice and I don't see how she can't be feeling like she's making an ultimate sacrifice because she is," Gillispie said.