Recardo Cornell Marshall Sr., known throughout Springfield as “Coach Rick” and affectionately as “Biscuit,” passed away on July 17, 2026, at the age of 67.
His death has brought an outpouring of tributes from generations of young athletes he mentored across the city and beyond.
Born on August 8, 1958, in Riverside, California, Marshall moved to Springfield as a child and spent the rest of his life there. He attended the High School of Commerce, where he was voted “Best Dressed” before beginning a career that included stints at Stop & Shop, American Bosch, and an insurance company in Hartford, Connecticut.
A Legacy Built on the Court
While working full time, Marshall poured his energy into coaching and mentoring youth. He started his first basketball team in 1979 and spent the next decade coaching various programs.
In 1991, he founded Rick’s Five, short for Reaching Inner City Kids, a program designed to give talented young players from the inner city access to basketball while teaching them leadership, teamwork, and discipline.
He took his players to tournaments, clinics, and college campuses, opening doors that many would not have had otherwise. Several went on to play professionally, while others became coaches themselves.
Marshall also spent two decades as head coach of the Jack Troy League at the High School of Commerce, winning a Division I championship, and volunteered with Central High School’s basketball programs.
His impact was honored with the Living Legend Award from the Hickory Street Harambee Committee, recognition at the Massachusetts State House during a Black Excellence on the Hill ceremony, and a basketball court dedication in his name at Blunt Park last summer.
Family First
Marshall met his wife, Leslye, in 1977, and the couple married a decade later, remaining together for 39 years. They raised two children, Stephanie and Recardo Jr., and welcomed 13 grandchildren, whom he adored and mentored just as closely as his players.
He is survived by his wife, children, grandchildren, his mother Patricia, nine siblings, and countless nieces, nephews, former players, and friends. He was preceded in death by his father, Joseph, and his nephew Chauncy.
Funeral services will be held Tuesday, August 4, 2026, at St. John’s Congregational Church in Springfield, followed by burial at Oak Grove Cemetery. Coach Rick’s influence continues today through the many players who still wear “Rick’s 5” while competing in AAU tournaments across the country.
