Rick Cabrera departs for Northwestern State

TALLAHASSEE, Florida (March 30, 2023) – Tallahassee Community College head Men's Basketball coach Rick Cabrera has left the program, having accepted the same role at Northwestern State University. 

"To my Tallahassee family, I would like to thank you for the wonderful two years that you have given me and my family," said Cabrera. "I would like to thank Jim Murdaugh, Sheri Rowland, Chuck Moore and Rob Chaney for making these two years the best of my coaching career. Most importantly, being the Head Coach at Tallahassee Community College is my only priority right now as we pursue an opportunity to bring home a championship."

Cabrera was the fifth head coach in program history. In two seasons at TCC, he compiled a 52-16 (.765) record and led the Eagles to two FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 Tournament appearances, a Panhandle Conference Championship, and an appearance in the NJCAA Tournament, where the team reached the semifinals. In 2023, he was named Panhandle Conference Coach of the Year after finishing the conference season with a 9-3 record, clinching a share of the Panhandle Conference Championship. 

"Rick has led this program with the utmost integrity," said Director of Athletics Chuck Moore, "and he has carried the torch for a program with a storied history. Our TCC family will be forever grateful for the impact he had on our student athletes and our community during his time in Tallahassee."

During Cabrera's first season in charge, the team went 21-10 and reached the FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 Tournament. To finish the regular season, the Eagles went on a four-game winning streak, including victories over nationally ranked Chipola and eventual national champions Northwest Florida State. Those four wins were needed to put TCC in third place in the Panhandle Conference standings at the end of the season and as a result the team earned an at-large bid to the Region 8 Tournament. They fell narrowly to Indian River State in the first round of the tournament. 

The team finished with a 31-6 record for the 2022-23 season, only the fourth 30-win season in program history. During the year, the team went on a 20-game win streak and was ranked as high as #3 in the country. The Eagles received an automatic bid to the FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 Tournament and reached the championship game where they lost to Northwest Florida State. The team earned an at-large bid to the NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship, and they entered the tournament as the #12 seed. TCC advanced to the tournament semifinals, where they would lose to eventual national champions John A. Logan.  At the end of the season, he was named JUCO Coach of the Year by HoopDirt.com. 

After the 2021-22 season, 10 student-athletes went on to continue their athletic and academic careers and four-year institutions, including seven at the NCAA Division I level. Several players on this year's roster are currently being recruited by four-year schools. In 2021-22, four student athletes received Panhandle Conference All-Academic honors, and two were named to NJCAA All-Academic Teams.  

Cabrera will be just the second men's basketball head coach in school history to leave for a head coaching position at the NCAA Division I level. The first was Mike Gillespie, who became the head coach at Florida A&M University after leading the Eagles for 10 seasons. 

There will be a national search to find the next head coach, which will begin immediately. 

"With the legacy that Coach Cabrera has left at TCC, we are confident that the next head coach will come in with the tools to succeed," said Moore.