Kevin McGuff, Ohio State women’s basketball head coach, Friday announced the hiring of Mark Mitchell as the third assistant on his coaching staff, joining Patrick Klein and Joy Cheek, who were announced May 20.
"I’m very excited to add Mark to our coaching staff," McGuff said. "He brings tremendous experience as a basketball coach and will play a large part in player development and helping craft an exciting style of play. Mark is a proven winner and has had great success as a head coach and helping young people develop on and off the court. His skill set will be a great complement to what Joy and Patrick already bring to the table and really helps round out this staff in a terrific manner."
Mitchell, who has more than 20 years of coaching experience at the top high school and AAU levels, comes to Ohio State after spending the past 11 years as the boys varsity head coach at Taft High School in Cincinnati, where he amassed a record of 221-50 (.815). Mitchell resurrected the Senator program instantly in his first year, going 22-3 and winning the city championship after inheriting a program coming off 10 consecutive losing seasons. During his tenure at Taft, the Senators won eight Cincinnati Metro Athletic Conference titles, nine sectional and four district titles and a Division III state championship in 2011. For his efforts, he was voted CMAC coach of the year eight times and the Cincinnati Enquirer coach of the year five times.
"Being able to work for Kevin McGuff and The Ohio State University is a dream come true," Mitchell said. "Coach McGuff and Ohio State have afforded me with an opportunity to continue my growth and development as a coach while molding our student-athletes into successful, productive people. I am looking forward to the opportunity to help Coach McGuff bring the women’s basketball program back to national prominence."
Prior to his appointment at Taft, Mitchell served as an assistant coach at Winton Woods High School from 2001-03 where he helped the Warriors to a Division I state runner-up finish in 2002. He also was an assistant coach on the All-Ohio Girls basketball team from 2011-13.
Mitchell received his bachelor’s degree in physical education from Eastern Kentucky University in 1990 before earning a Master’s in Education from Marygrove College in Detroit in 2002. While at EKU Mitchell was a four-year letterwinner on the football team as an offensive lineman, helping EKU to two national Division 1-AA semifinal appearances. He earned first team All-Ohio Valley Conference and honorable mention All-America honors in 1989.
After college Mitchell played briefly in the World League of American Football for the Orlando Thunder in the spring of 1991 before going on to earn his master’s degree and begin his coaching career.
In addition to coaching, Mitchell has worked as a physical education and health teacher at Taft (2003-13), Cincinnati Winton Woods (2002-03) and in the Lakota West Schools from 1993-2002.
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