Rick Cabrera
Rick Cabrera

Bio

Rick Cabrera is entering his second season as the Men's Basketball Head Coach at Tallahassee Community College. 

Cabrera led the Eagles to a 21-10 season in his first year in charge, earning an at-large bid to the FCSAA State/Region VIII Tournament. 

Cabrera is just the fifth head coach in the program's 31-year history as members of the NJCAA. Before coming to Tallahassee, Cabrera spent the last 13 years as a Division I assistant. He was an assistant coach at Arkansas State for two seasons(2019-21), as well as serving on staffs at Austin Peay (2017-19), Tennessee Tech (2012-17) and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (2008-12). His resume includes a four-year stint as a NJCAA head coach at Lackawanna College (Pa.).

Cabrera first dipped his feet in the head coaching waters with Lackawanna from 2004-08. There, he compiled a record of 100-29 (.775) in four seasons at the helm and was named NJCAA Region XIX Coach of the Year in 2005 and 2006. The Spring Valley, N.Y., native also took home the regular season conference championship in 2005, 2006 and 2007, along with winning the region tournament championship in 2005 and 2006. Cabrera coached 13 All-Region honorees, three NJCAA All-Americans, and one Region Player of the Year in his time with the Falcons. 

Cabrera's introduction to the NJCAA, however, came as a basketball student-athlete, first at Kemper (Mo.) Military School in 1994-95 then at traditional power Vincennes (Ind.) University, where he played in 1995-96, eventually earning a scholarship to Tennessee Tech.

Cabrera played two seasons (1996-98) with the Golden Eagles under head coach Frank Harrell. As a senior, he averaged 11 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game and was voted the team's Most Valuable Player.   

Cabrera graduated from Tennessee Tech in 1999 with a Bachelor of Science in Multidisciplinary Studies.  Following the conclusion of his athletic career, he joined his alma mater as a graduate assistant under head coach Jeff Lebo and helped lead Tennessee Tech to the Ohio Valley Conference Championship with a 13-3 conference record. Cabrera received his master's in instructional leadership from Tennessee Tech in 2001. 

Cabrera's first coaching job out of college was as an assistant basketball coach for Miami Killian High School in 2001-02. After one season, he secured a job with NJCAA member Keystone (Pa.) College, where he served as assistant coach, strength and conditioning coordinator, and study hall manager from 2002-04. 

Cabrera is married to the former Danielle Olker of Queens, N.Y. The couple has a daughter, Mikayla, and three sons, Jaden, Braxton and Landon.