Men's Basketball | October 26, 2017
The day Matt Figger was announced as Austin Peay State University head men's basketball coach, Rick Cabrera was in the Dunn Center, watching as one of his oldest coaches and mentors finally ascended to the role of head coach.
Cabrera had something of a vested interest in the proceedings—after all, it was he who first floated the idea of Austin Peay as a great head coaching gig to Figger and got the whole ball moving.
"I've known coach for 20 years now," Cabrera said. "I've always followed his career after he coached me at Vincennes. I saw him work his way to the success he's had and I've always admired him. I know a lot of coaches in this business, but he's always one I've admired from afar. I thought he would be a great fit and I thought it was his team to lead a ballclub.
Without Cabrera's influence, it's possible Austin Peay's place in the Ohio Valley Conference basketball hierarchy might be different. It's likely Cabrera would've continued apace at Tennessee Tech, his coaching him the previous six seasons and alma mater for both his undergraduate (multidisciplinary studies, 1999) and graduate (instructional leadership, 2001) degrees.
Cabrera had carved out a niche for himself in Cookeville, becoming Steve Payne's associate head coach in 2015-16 and on track for a head coaching spot himself. Cabrera could and would have had his pick of jobs whenever he chose to move on… so it might have raised a few eyebrows when he made what could be considered a lateral move to join Figger in Clarksville.
Might have raised eyebrows to someone who didn't know Cabrera and the things he stood for and valued.
"It was absolutely a tough move (leaving TTU)," he said. "Tennessee Tech has been my home; I've got great friends over there, people I've known for over 20 years. I shed some tears making that move, but on the professional side, I wanted to branch out and learn from a guy who spent 10 years at the high-major level and is coming off a Final Four. It was a no-brainer in regards to my professional career."
There is so much more to coaching than prestige and money. Even by Cabrera's admission, those are nice things to have, but comfort and professional fulfillment shouldn't be overlooked. Cabrera saw a guy he admired, who he looked up to in his coaching life and saw in Figger and Austin Peay the kind of situation that a true coaches coach can't pass up.
He saw the ability to affect more than just the outcome of basketball games.
"My dad is my idol," Cabrera said, referencing Hugo, a longtime pro who was named the Dominican Republic's Player of the Century. "He told me a long time ago, when I decided to coach, to get into the business to impact and change lives. If you get into it for that, good things will happen to you. This is year 17 for me in coaching and I still talk to the kids I coached 17 years ago. That's what drives me in this business, and that's the reciprocation Coach Figger gave me as a young player when he was a young coach."
It's that motivation that drives Cabrera and the rest of this Governors coaching staff as they put the finishing touches on the preseason ahead of the Nov. 4 exhibition opener before the curtain truly rises against Vanderbilt, Nov. 10. With a mix of veterans and newcomers, with just four faces remaining on the roster from a year ago, it can be a challenge getting everyone moving in the right direction.
Winning will be looked at as the first step, since that's how coaches and players get judged. The standings will be all the proof some require—evidence of success or failure only judged by wins and losses. For coaches like Cabrera, some wins are already evident on the court.
"We have 13 guys who work their tails off," Cabrera said. "It's demanding; Coach Figg preaches being an everyday guy, to his staff and to his players. It's been an adjustment, because there are guys who haven't had to work like this.
"But I have to be honest, I've been impressed with the guys; we've got a good blend of youth and veteran guys. We're constantly banging against each other in practice, getting physical, getting testy. They get better every day."
