Rick Cabrera

Last updated

Rick Cabrera
Current position
TitleHead coach
Team Northwestern State
Conference Southland
Record23–39 (.371)
Biographical details
Born (1976-12-04) December 4, 1976 (age 48)
Spring Valley, New York, U.S.
Playing career
1994–1995 Kemper Military School
1995–1996 Vincennes
1996–1998 Tennessee Tech
Position(s) Guard
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1998–1999Volunteer Christian (TN) (assistant)
1999–2000 Tennessee Tech (GA)
2001–2002 Miami Killian HS (FL) (assistant)
2002–2004 Keystone College (assistant)
2004–2008 Lackawanna CC
2008–2012 Chattanooga (assistant)
2012–2017Tennessee Tech (assistant)
2017–2019 Austin Peay (assistant)
2019–2021 Arkansas State (assistant)
2021–2023 Tallahassee CC
2023–present Northwestern State
Head coaching record
Overall23–39 (.371) (NCAA)
152–45 (.772) (NJCAA)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
3x Region XIX Regular Season (2005-07), Region XIX Conference Tournament (2005), 2x Region VIII Conference Tournament (2022, 2023), Panhandle Conference Champion (2023)

Hugo Ricardo Cabrera Jr. [1] [2] (born December 4, 1976) is an American basketball coach who is the current head coach of the Northwestern State Demons men's basketball team. [3]

Contents

Early life and education

Cabrera grew up in Spring Valley, New York, and graduated from Albertus Magnus High School in 1994. [4] [5]

After high school, Cabrera played junior college basketball for two seasons, first at Kemper Military School in 1994–95, then at Vincennes University in 1995–96. [5] At Vincennes, he was teammates with future NBA players Shawn Marion and Tyrone Nesby. [6] In 1996, Cabrera transferred to Tennessee Tech, where in two seasons he played 49 games and averaged 6.8 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.6 assists as a guard. [7] Cabrera completed his bachelor's degree in multidisciplinary studies in 1999 and master's degree in instructional leadership in 2001, both at Tennessee Tech. [8]

Coaching career

Early coaching career (1998–2004)

From 1998 to 1999, Cabrera was head boys' basketball coach and athletics director at Volunteer Christian Academy in Sparta, Tennessee. [6]

In 1999, Cabrera returned to Tennessee Tech to be a graduate assistant for one season under head coach Jeff Lebo. [6] From 2001 to 2002, Cabrera was an assistant basketball coach at Miami Killian Senior High School. [6]

From 2002 to 2004, Cabrera was an assistant coach at Keystone College. [6]

Lackawanna (2004–2008)

Then from 2004 to 2008, Cabrera was head coach at Lackawanna College. In four years he guided Lackawanna to a 100–29 record as well as three regular season titles and two conference tournament titles. [3]

Division I assistant (2008–2021)

Returning to the NCAA Division I coaching ranks, Cabrera was an assistant at Chattanooga from 2008 to 2012 under head coach John Shulman, who was previously an assistant at Tennessee Tech. With Cabrera as an assistant, Chattanooga won two Southern Conference division titles and the 2009 Southern Conference Tournament, also appearing in the 2009 NCAA Tournament. [6]

On June 1, 2012, Cabrera began a second stint as assistant coach at Tennessee Tech, this time under head coach Steve Payne. [9]

Then on May 8, 2017, Cabrera joined the staff of Matt Figger as an assistant coach at Austin Peay. [10]

On May 8, 2019, Cabrera became an assistant at Arkansas State under Mike Balado. [11]

Tallahassee Community College (2021–2023)

In 2021, Cabrera returned to the junior college ranks as a head coach with Tallahassee Community College where in two seasons he guided the team to a 52–16 overall record, inincluding a conference championship, their third in four seasons, and an appearance in the NJCAA Division I Tournament national semifinal in 2023. [12] [13]

Northwestern State (2023–present)

On March 22, 2023, Cabrera was named the 11th head coach in Northwestern State men's basketball history, replacing Corey Gipson who departed for the head coaching position at Austin Peay. [14] [15] [4]

Personal

Cabrera's father Hugo Cabrera Sr., was a 10th round pick of the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1976 NBA draft and represented the Dominican Republic in various international competitions. [16] [17] [2]

Head coaching record

NCAA DI

Statistics overview
SeasonTeamOverallConferenceStandingPostseason
Northwestern State Demons (Southland Conference)(2023–present)
2023–24 Northwestern State 9–237–116th
2024–25 Northwestern State 16–1612–8T-4th
Northwestern State:25–39 (.391)19–19 (.500)
Total:25–39 (.391)

      National champion        Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion        Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion      Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

Junior college

Statistics overview
SeasonTeamOverallConferenceStandingPostseason
Lackawanna Falcons (Region XIX)(2004–2008)
2004–05Lackawanna 29–4NJCAA district playoffs [18]
2005–06Lackawanna 23–9 [19]
2006–07Lackawanna 22–8 [20]
2007–08Lackawanna 22–9 [21] NJCAA regional semifinals [8]
Lackawanna:102–30 (.773)
Tallahassee Eagles (FSCAA Panhandle)(2021–2023)
2021–22Tallahassee CC 21–106–63rd
2022–23Tallahassee CC 31–69–3T–1stNJCAA Division I Final Four
Tallahassee CC:52–16 (.765)15–9 (.625)
Total:154–46 (.770)

      National champion        Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion        Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion      Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

References

  1. "Arkansas State University Operating Budget 2021-2022" (PDF). Arkansas State University. 2021. p. 239. Retrieved March 11, 2025.
  2. 1 2 "Rick Cabrera - Assistant Coach - Staff Directory". Arkansas State University.
  3. 1 2 "Rick Cabrera - Demon Basketball Coach". Northwestern State University Athletics.
  4. 1 2 Pugh, Jason (March 27, 2023). "NSU to introduce new head men's hoops coach Cabrera on Thursday". Northwestern State University. Retrieved March 11, 2025.
  5. 1 2 Thomas, Gerald III (February 5, 2023). "Tallahassee CC men's basketball coach Rick Cabrera holds special connect with FSU and FAMU". Tallahassee Democrat. Retrieved March 11, 2025.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Rick Cabrera". Tennessee Tech. Retrieved March 11, 2025.
  7. "Rick Cabrera College Stats". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com.
  8. 1 2 "Chattanooga Men's Basketball Adds Cabrera to Staff". University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. April 2, 2008. Retrieved March 11, 2025.
  9. "Kloman, Cabrera set to round out men's basketball staff". Tennessee Tech. June 1, 2012. Archived from the original on August 27, 2012. Retrieved March 11, 2025.
  10. "Cabrera, Hill added to Figger's staff". Austin Peay State University. May 8, 2017. Retrieved March 11, 2025.
  11. "Rick Cabrera Named A-State Men's Basketball Assistant Coach". Arkansas State University. May 8, 2019. Retrieved March 11, 2025.
  12. "Tallahassee Community College Athletics". Tallahassee Community College Athletics.
  13. "'They left it all out there': TCC's tournament run ends after close game against top-seeded team". Tallahassee Democrat.
  14. "NSU names Rick Cabrera men's basketball head coach". Northwestern State University Athletics.
  15. "Northwestern State to hire Rick Cabrera as head basketball coach". March 22, 2023.
  16. "Hugo Cabrera Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more". Basketball-Reference.com.
  17. "Basketball great Hugo Cabrera passes away". DR1.com.
  18. "2004-2005 Men's Basketball Schedule". Lackawanna College. Archived from the original on April 7, 2005. Retrieved March 12, 2025.
  19. "Lackawanna College - Schedule - NJCAA Stats". NJCAA.
  20. "Lackawanna College - Schedule - NJCAA Stats". NJCAA.
  21. "Lackawanna College - Schedule - NJCAA Stats". NJCAA.