Trey Tinsley, who was an assistant coach for Russellville boys basketball this year, has been named head coach of the Panthers, succeeding the retiring Phil Todd.
Principal Drew Teel made the announcement Tuesday. He said:
"Russellville High School is excited about the hiring of Trey Tinsley as the new Boys Varsity Basketball Coach. Coach Tinsley will bring energy and passion to the program. His focus and goal is building a winning culture on and off the court. He has 10 years of coaching experience, most recently serving as the Assistant Varsity and Head JV Coach at Russellville High School. Help us in congratulating Coach Tinsley as he leads our Boys Basketball program. Go Panthers!"
After getting to know him this year, several people close to the program have told The LoJo that he is the right person to take over RHS boys basketball.
“I’m honored to be the next boys basketball coach at Russellville High School,” the new coach says. “I’m excited to see our student athletes grow on and off the floor! Can’t wait to get started. Go Panthers!”
Trey Tinsley served as head coach of the Edmonson County Wildcats in the 2023-24 season before coming to Russellville. Among his team’s 14 victories were wins over both Russellville and Logan County during the regular season and Grayson County in the district tournament.
He and his wife—Edmonson County graduate Carsen Logsdon Tinsley—have been married almost six years. She is a registered nurse who has worked at Glasgow’s T.J. Samson Urgent Care and at Greenview Regional Hospital.
Basketball has been a way of life for the Tinsley family. Trey and his brother Ryne were excellent high school players, primarily in Glasgow. Now Ryne is head coach at Owensboro Apollo High School.
“Congratulations to my brother, Trey Tinsley, on receiving the Russellville HS Boys Basketball position tonight! Glad to see him back on the sidelines as he will lead the 3x 4th Region Champions back to prominence. Terrific hire (I am biased),as he led his last team to the biggest upset in the STATE per RPI in tournament play for the 2023-2024 season. God has a plan for you and the boys you will lead,” Ryne wrote on Facebook.
Their dad, former Logan County head coach John Tinsley, is a Kentucky basketball coaching legend, which was made official last week by his being inducted into Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches Court of Honor “in recognition of your contribution to Kentucky High School Basketball.”
John is married to the former LeAnn Meguiar of Auburn, who is from a basketball-oriented family herself.
(See the John Tinsley story on The LoJo at http://www.theloganjournal.com/Stories.aspx?Article=sports1679 ).
Trey Tinsley comes into a program that needs revival. The eight years since Phil Todd’s 2017 team was regional runner-up have not gone well, at least in terms of wins and losses.
After being competitive on the district, regional and sometimes state level for a couple of decades, they have gone 56-154 during these eight seasons. Their best two seasons during those time frames saw them win nine games each time and finish as district runner-up both years.
For a look at Phil Todd’s Panther career as he retires, see an article on The LoJo at http://www.theloganjournal.com/Stories.aspx?Article=sports1678
The March hiring of Trey Tinsley will allow him to work with players in the late spring and early summer in preparation for a new era of Russellville basketball.