Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Staff Directory
- Title:
- Associate Head Women's Basketball Coach
- Email:
- Phone:
- 898-5207
UPDATED: June 2025
Twitter: minsell
One of the rising stars in the women’s basketball coaching ranks, Matt Insell enters his eighth season with Middle Tennessee and his fourth as associate head coach after joining Head Coach Rick Insell’s staff in May 2018.
The son of Hall of Fame Coach Rick Insell, Matt has spent his life surrounded by basketball excellence. He previously served as the head women’s basketball coach at Ole Miss for five seasons before returning to his alma mater, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in political science in 2007. His passion for the game, relentless work ethic, and player-first approach have helped solidify Middle Tennessee as one of the nation’s premier mid-major programs.
Across a decorated coaching career that spans nearly two decades, Insell has been part of 11 postseason teams and developed dozens of players who have gone on to professional and All-America success. His résumé includes four NCAA Tournament runs at Kentucky—with three reaching the Elite Eight and another the second round—and multiple postseason appearances at both Ole Miss and Middle Tennessee.
Since returning to Murfreesboro, Insell has played a pivotal role in the Blue Raiders’ rise to national prominence. Middle Tennessee has advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2021, 2023, and 2024, while also reaching the WNIT semifinals in 2022. That 2021–22 Blue Raider squad won 27 games—the fourth-most in school history—and played a program-record 35 contests.
The Blue Raiders have continued to flourish under the combined leadership of Rick and Matt Insell. In 2023–24, Middle Tennessee put together one of the best seasons in program history, finishing 30–5 overall, sweeping the CUSA regular season and tournament titles, and advancing to the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 with a thrilling win over Louisville. The Blue Raiders ended the season ranked No. 23 nationally in the final AP Top 25 Poll—their first end-of-season national ranking since 2010—and were widely recognized as one of the country’s top programs.
Middle Tennessee’s 2024–25 squad entered the season with high expectations, returning multiple All-Conference players and one of the nation’s most experienced backcourts. With Insell continuing to lead the team’s recruiting efforts and offensive development, the Blue Raiders were once again projected as CUSA title favorites and a preseason Top 25 contender.
Behind the scenes, Insell’s fingerprints are all over the Blue Raiders’ success. His game preparation and scouting reports are known for their precision, attention to detail, and ability to simplify complex concepts for players. His analytical approach and strategic mindset have helped Middle Tennessee consistently excel on both ends of the floor, with the program ranking among the nation’s best in scoring defense and efficiency in recent seasons.
Just as impactful is his ability to connect with players. Insell is deeply invested in the personal and athletic development of every student-athlete he coaches, building relationships based on honesty, accountability, and mutual respect. His approach to leadership emphasizes communication and consistency—key pillars in a program that prides itself on culture and cohesion.
A proven recruiter, Insell has earned a national reputation for his ability to evaluate and attract elite talent. He made an immediate impact upon arriving at Middle Tennessee, signing two McDonald’s All-Americans—Rellah Boothe and Anastasia Hayes—in his first season. He also added graduate transfer A’Queen Hayes, who became the 2018–19 CUSA Newcomer of the Year, while Anastasia Hayes went on to earn the same honor in 2019–20 before being named CUSA Player of the Year in 2021.
Insell’s ability to develop guards has long been one of his coaching hallmarks. During his first season at Middle Tennessee, both A’Queen Hayes and Taylor Sutton collected league honors as CUSA Newcomer of the Year and Freshman of the Year, respectively. Another of his standout recruits, Aislynn Hayes, burst onto the scene in 2019–20 as the second player in program history to earn Freshman All-American honors, also taking home the CUSA Freshman of the Year award while being named USBWA National Freshman of the Week three times.
Before returning home to Murfreesboro, Insell made his mark as the head coach at Ole Miss from 2013–18. During his five-year tenure, he guided the Rebels to two national postseason tournaments (WNIT) and recorded four wins over top-25 opponents. He led Ole Miss to a 19-win season and WNIT third-round appearance in 2014–15—one of the program’s strongest campaigns of the decade.
Insell’s time in Oxford was highlighted by signature victories over national powers, including wins against No. 9 Kentucky, No. 13 Kentucky, and No. 18 Georgia. His 2014–15 team also made women’s basketball history when Ole Miss hosted Middle Tennessee—marking the first time in NCAA women’s basketball history that a father and son coached against each other (Rick and Matt Insell).
Prior to Ole Miss, Insell served five successful seasons as an assistant coach at Kentucky under Matthew Mitchell. During that stretch, the Wildcats enjoyed four NCAA Tournament appearances, three Elite Eight runs, and four 20-win seasons while consistently finishing among the top 25 nationally. He was instrumental in developing All-America guard A’dia Mathies, a two-time SEC Player of the Year, and Bria Goss, who earned SEC Freshman of the Year honors.
Before joining the college coaching ranks, Insell served as Director of Basketball Operations at Louisiana Tech, and earlier gained national recognition as one of the country’s premier AAU coaches. As head coach of the Tennessee Flight, a Nike Elite program, he coached dozens of future Division I athletes—including 41 who went on to play college basketball. He also led the Shelbyville Sports Shop 15-under team to the AAU National Championship in 2004.
A native of Shelbyville, Tennessee, Insell began building his coaching foundation early. While attending the University of Tennessee from 2001–05, he worked as a student assistant and video coordinator for both the men’s and women’s programs, including under former men’s head coach Buzz Peterson and legendary women’s coach Pat Summitt. He transferred to Middle Tennessee during the 2005–06 season and graduated in 2007.
Insell and his wife, the former Autumn Clark, reside in Murfreesboro with their two children, Clark Richmond and Evie Brooke.
