Rick Insell to Retire After 21 Years; Son Matt Insell Named Successor to Lead Blue Raiders

By David Oglesby

Photo / MTSU Athletics

MURFREESBORO, TN — Rick Insell, the winningest coach in Middle Tennessee women's basketball history, announced Thursday that he will retire at the conclusion of the 2025–26 season, bringing to a close a storied 21-year run that transformed the Blue Raiders into a consistent mid-major power.

Insell, 74, who compiled 505 victories at his alma mater, will remain on the bench through Middle Tennessee’s upcoming WNIT run (first appearance on Monday, March 23 at the Murphy Athletic Center versus St. Bonaventure). Hopefully the team will see success in the tournament and then the team will be handed over to his current associate head coach and son, Matt Insell. A formal press conference to introduce Matt as the eighth head coach in program history is scheduled for Tuesday, March 24, at 11 a.m. CT at the Kennon Sports Hall of Fame.

“Coach Insell’s extraordinary success on the court is matched only by the relationships he has built and the lives he has influenced along the way,” Middle Tennessee State University President Sidney A. McPhee said in a statement. “On a personal level, I am grateful to call Rick a longtime friend and, on behalf of the university, I thank him for his remarkable contributions and enduring legacy.”

Under Insell’s leadership, the Blue Raiders made 21 consecutive postseason appearances, including 12 NCAA Tournament berths, seven WNIT trips and one WBIT showing. His teams claimed 10 conference regular-season crowns (six in the Sun Belt, four in Conference USA) and 10 conference tournament titles, reaching the conference championship game 13 times. His coaching tree includes seven All-Americans, five conference players of the year and five WNBA draft picks.

Before returning to Murfreesboro, Insell built a legendary high-school career at Shelbyville Central, compiling a 775–148 record over 28 seasons and guiding his teams to 10 TSSAA Class AAA state championships. That success helped push his career win total past 1,279 — making him the only coach in NCAA history to produce three consecutive NCAA scoring champions and the only coach to record more than 500 wins at both the Division I and high-school levels. He has been inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame (2017) and the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame (2012), and will join the Conference USA Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2025.

Director of Athletics Chris Massaro praised Insell’s impact on and off the court, noting the coach’s emphasis on player development, academic achievement and a championship culture that has defined the program for nearly two decades. “Rick’s legacy is measured not only in wins, championships, and national recognition, but also in the countless lives he has influenced through his leadership,” Massaro said.

The transition to Matt Insell, 43, keeps the program in familiar hands. Matt, who has served as an assistant to his father since 2018 and as associate head coach since 2022, was previously the head coach at Ole Miss from 2013–18 and has experience on staffs at Kentucky and Louisiana Tech. The university will officially unveil him at next week’s press conference.

In a statement, Rick Insell thanked his family, staff and players for the journey. “I am honored to have led the Middle Tennessee women’s basketball program for over two decades,” he said, citing pride in the student‑athletes’ competitiveness, integrity and academic success. He added that he looks forward to spending more time with his wife Deb, their three sons — Tom, Kyle and Matt — and their 13 grandchildren, while continuing to support Blue Raider athletics.

Insell’s retirement is one of the highest-profile departures this season in Division I women’s basketball and marks a significant moment for Middle Tennessee as it seeks to sustain the winning tradition he established. The Blue Raiders will begin their WNIT run at home this week, with the program set to begin a new chapter under Matt Insell next season.