Breaking news in the world of college football: Middle Tennessee has made the tough decision to part ways with long-time head coach Rick Stockstill, who led the Blue Raiders since 2006. With an 18-season tenure, Stockstill, 65, racked up a 113-111 win-loss record, clinching one Sun Belt championship and a division title in Conference USA.
Outlasting other head coaches, Stockstill’s departure puts him in the ranks alongside Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz, Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy, and Utah’s Kyle Whittingham as one of the longest-tenured leaders in college football.
Chris Massaro, MTSU’s athletic director, expressed the difficulty of the decision, emphasizing the university’s commitment to competing for and winning championships.
Stockstill’s coaching legacy at MTSU includes an impressive 10 winning seasons and appearances in 10 bowl games, including a triumphant 2009 season at 10-3 with a New Orleans Bowl victory.
Despite posting winning seasons in 2021 (7-6) and 2022 (8-5), the team’s inconsistency showed in earlier years. Disappointment followed a 4-8 season in 2019 and a 3-6 season in 2020 despite promising performances in some instances.
The recent 4-8 record with a 3-5 league play score in the weakened Conference USA led to the culmination of Stockstill’s coaching tenure at MTSU. The team’s final game against Sam Houston, which stirred up controversy with a post-game fight, proved to be the end of Stockstill’s chapter as head coach.
Massaro thanked Stockstill, his family, and commended their dedication to MTSU athletics, emphasizing the positive impact they’ve had both on and off the football field.
Prior to joining MTSU, Stockstill held coaching positions at UCF, Clemson, East Carolina, and South Carolina. Notably, his son Brent played quarterback for MTSU and later became the team’s quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator.
