CSUN Director of Athletics Mike Izzi has announced the appointment of Carlene Mitchell as interim head women’s basketball coach.
“I am incredibly excited for the opportunity to fulfill the role of interim head coach of the CSUN Women’s Basketball program,” said Mitchell. “I have spoken to Coach Foster and I know the decision to step away was a difficult one; I look forward to sharing her same passion for the game with the young women who I believe are excited to be challenged and get back on the court.”
The CSUN appointment marks the return to the Big West Conference for Mitchell, who was the head coach at the UC Santa Barbara for four seasons from 2011-2015. In her first season at the helm, she led the Gauchos to the Big West Conference Championship as the sixth seed and a spot in the NCAA Tournament. She also coached two of her players to all Big-West honors. Mitchell was selected as a finalist for the Spaulding Maggie Dixon Rookie Coach of the Year Award presented by the WBCA.
“I look forward to coaching again in a league I am very familiar with,” Mitchell added. “I am excited to work with the Matadors’ staff who have worked tirelessly to put together this roster during unprecedented times. I am especially grateful to Director of Athletics Mike Izzi and Senior Associate Athletics Director Julius Hicks for this opportunity.”
Mitchell most recently spent time coaching in South Korea in the highly respected WKBL (Women’s Korean Basketball League), serving as a Technical Advisor for KEB Hana Bank. Cheyenne Parker – who Mitchell had coached with the WNBA’s Chicago Sky – was the No. 1 overall pick in the WKBL draft and led the league in points, rebounds, and blocked shots.
Mitchell served as an assistant coach for the Sky during the 2017-18 season. Her experience and familiarity with the league include coaching nine players on current WNBA rosters. Among those players are 2019 All-Star MVP Erica Wheeler (Indiana), 2017 World Champion Essence Carson (Washington), and Top 20 WNBA All-Time Player Cappie Pondexter.
Before UCSB, Mitchell spent 10 seasons as an assistant coach at Rutgers University. Under the tutelage of Naismith Hall of Famer C. Vivian Stringer, Mitchell helped direct the Scarlet Knights to NCAA berths in nine straight seasons and served as associate head coach for three seasons.
Rutgers enjoyed unparalleled success during her stay, reaching the Sweet 16 five times, the Elite Eight on three occasions, and the Final Four and national title game in 2007. In addition, Mitchell consistently landed some of the nation’s top recruiting classes for the Scarlet Knights, including four top-15 and the country’s No. 1 recruiting class in 2007.
Before heading to Rutgers, Mitchell spent the 2000-01 season as the top assistant and recruiting coordinator at Oklahoma State University. She also served similar roles at Western Illinois and UMKC.
Success started at the collegiate level for Mitchell, who helped lead Trinity Valley Community College to the first of its slew of unprecedented NJCAA National championships (1994, 35-1 record). She was named all-conference and selected to the NJCAA All-Tournament team, Mitchell played at TVCC for Women’s Basketball Hall of Famer Kurt Budke.
Mitchell still holds the single-season assists record (337) in the Trinity record book. She was inducted into the Cardinal Hall of Fame in October 2010, joining the likes of former WNBA players Betty Lennox, Shalonda Ennis, and Shannon Bobbitt.
Mitchell concluded her collegiate playing career at Kansas State University, graduating in 1996. As the starting point guard, she played for the former WNBA Dallas Wings coach and Big 12 TV contributor Brian Agler.
Mitchell has served as a contributor, on four occasions, for the WBCA to the Nike Villa 7 Coaches Consortium. The consortium was used as means to bring together university athletic directors and the country’s elite assistant basketball coaches. She also has worked as a contributor for Blue Star, one of the country’s elite basketball evaluation services.
“With her long history of success at many levels, we are excited to have Coach Mitchell lead the Matador women’s basketball program,” said Izzi. “Carlene has a wide breadth of experience in both the Big West and beyond, and we are confident that she will provide a first-class experience for our basketball student-athletes.”
Photo Courtesy CSUN Athletics
Tagged with: Big West Carlene Mitchell CSUN
