Middle Tennessee State University’s first lady Elizabeth McPhee sat in the same seat inside the Murphy Center for every Middle Tennessee women’s basketball game. McPhee had a reserved seat five rows up just off center from the halfcourt line, across from the MTSU bench.  

From that seat, McPhee watched Middle Tennessee rack up 580 wins and 12 conference tournament championships while building relationships with every player across a quarter century span before her death on Jan. 8.  

“We lost one of our most lovable, one of our most avid supporters,” MTSU head coach Rick Insell said. “She went everywhere with us…You just don’t know what Liz McPhee did behind the scenes for Lady Raider basketball.” 

The former Murfreesboro, Tennessee, educator was known for traveling with the team to away games and tournaments, always hosting the players for dinner and being one of the team’s biggest fans, Insell said.  

Insell met McPhee when he was a candidate for the women’s head coach job before the 2005 season. At the time, Director of Athletics Chris Massaro had just been hired and one of the first things to do was hire a new head coach for the women’s basketball program.  

“She’s like all wives,” Insell said. “She’s got to approve stuff…Well, when we met and Dr. McPhee and myself, and Deb [Insell] and all met right from the get-go, I would like to say that she saw that I was genuine.”  

Insell and McPhee built a relationship that put a special trust in the first lady where she was involved in any and all aspects of the team.  

The most impactful behind the scenes actions by McPhee were ones that the coaching staff didn’t know about until well after the fact.  

“Liz [McPhee], served our team Thanksgiving dinner,” Insell said. “Well, we came and practiced and we practiced at 8 o’clock at night, got through about 10 p.m. Unknown to me, after that practice the kids were hungry.” 

The players then called McPhee, and she got out of bed, went downstairs and put Thanksgiving food back out for the players at 11 p.m., Insell said. Insell wouldn’t know about the post– practice dinner until three days later.  

McPhee didn’t stay confined to being with the team just when they were in Murfreesboro, but the first lady traveled with the team whether it was the middle of November for a non-conference trip or to the NCAA tournament.  

Last year as the Lady Raiders were set to leave for the Conference USA tournament, McPhee was climbing on the bus, ready to go down to Huntsville, Alabama, Insell said.  

Just like inside the Murphy Center, McPhee had her spot on the bus and next to her for seven years sat former Lady Raider player and coach Courtney Whitson.  

“I can remember my freshman year, scared little freshman riding in the back of the bus and getting called up to the front so I could sit in her seat,” Whitson said. “She knew I wanted to be a teacher and so we would talk about kids and how to make an impact and she would teach me. She would tell me all about her student teaching and I could just go on and on.” 

McPhee and Whitson’s relationship was based around the classroom where most of their time spent together was focused on Whitson’s life after basketball.  

“She always preached servant leadership, and that was something I tried to mimic,” Whitson said. “Anytime I could feel myself getting into a low moment, I would try to shift my focus on something else and pouring myself into somebody right.” 

McPhee was there with the Lady Raiders regardless of the outcome of games as the boost of energy the team needed at times. Midway through the 2022-2023 season, Middle Tennessee was ranked and eventually lost a game, but McPhee told the team afterwards “it’s just a ball and it’s just a basket, put it in there,” which helped lighten the mood, Whitson said.  

Middle Tennessee will now have to continue climbing mountains while remembering its largest supporter.  

“You’re not going to replace that,” Insell said. “You just can’t go out and replace that. We’re not going to even try.” 

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