Fang Mitchell
Sport(s) | Men's basketball |
---|---|
Biographical details | |
Born |
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | February 8, 1948
Alma mater |
Thomas Edison State College Coppin State University |
Playing career | |
1969β1971 | Gloucester County CC |
Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
1978β1986 | Gloucester County CC |
1986β2014 | Coppin State |
Head coaching record | |
Overall |
429β417 (NCAA D-I) 227β46 (junior college) |
Tournaments |
1β4 (NCAA D-I) 1β2 (NIT) |
Accomplishments and honors | |
Championships | |
MEAC Tournament Championship (1990, 1993, 1997, 2008) MEAC Regular Season Championship (1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996) | |
Awards | |
MEAC Coach of the Year (1990, 1991, 1993) |
Ronald L. "Fang" Mitchell (born February 8, 1948) is an American college basketball coach and the former head men's basketball coach at Coppin State University.
Early life, education, and business career
Born in Philadelphia and raised in Camden, New Jersey, Mitchell graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in Camden. Because he could not afford college, Mitchell worked factory and service jobs before attending Gloucester County College. Mitchell played on the Gloucester basketball team while also working the night shift as a computer operator at a bank.[1]
Mitchell then attended Rutgers UniversityβCamden for a year, before embarking on a business career. He worked as a shoe company manager and printing sales representative. In Glassboro, New Jersey, Mitchell founded a clothing store, Mr. Fang's Athletic Attire, which expanded from one to three locations.[1][2]
Coaching career
Gloucester County CC
With no coaching experience, Mitchell became head coach at Gloucester County College in 1978. In his first season, he led the previously struggling Gloucester County Roadrunners to a 19β11 record, then to consecutive seasons with 26 or more wins per year until the 1985β86 season. Gloucester County also made the NJCAA Tournament in 1980, 1981, 1985, and 1986.[1]
While Gloucester County head coach, Mitchell also assisted at Temple University basketball camps and became a good friend of Temple coach John Chaney. Additionally, Mitchell completed his Bachelor of Business Administration degree at Thomas Edison State College in 1984.[1]
Coppin State
In 1986, Coppin State University, a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), hired Mitchell to be head coach for the Coppin State Eagles men's basketball team; Mitchell would hold this position for 28 seasons.[3] Mitchell earned his master's degree in adult and continuing education at Coppin State in 1994 while head coach.[1] In his 28 seasons as head coach, Mitchell was named MEAC Coach of the Year six times. He also led Coppin State to first place in the MEAC regular season standings ten times and four NCAA Tournament appearances.[1][3]
The Coppin State Eagles improved annually from 8β19 in Mitchell's first season to 26β7 in the 1989β90 season and a berth in the 1990 NCAA Tournament. The season also included an upset over Maryland.[1] After being projected to finish seventh in the conference in coaches' and sports information directors' preseason polls, Coppin State finished the season 22β8 and first in the MEAC and also made the 1993 NCAA Tournament.[1][3] In 1995, Mitchell turned down an offer to be head coach at FIU with a salary of $150,000, 90 percent higher than his current pay at Coppin State.[4]
Coppin State next made the NCAA Tournament in 1997 as a #15 seed and upset #2 South Carolina in the first round before losing to Texas in the second round 82β81.[5] Coppin State's last NCAA Tournament berth under Mitchell was in 2008.
On March 28, 2014, Coppin State opted not to renew Mitchell's contract, following three consecutive losing seasons and nine losing seasons in the last ten.[6]
Personal life
Mitchell married the former Yvonne Forston in 1990; they remained married until her death in 2002.[7]
Head coaching record
Junior college
Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gloucester County Roadrunners (Garden State Athletic Conference) (1978β1986) | |||||||||
1978β79 | Gloucester County | 19β11 | |||||||
1979β80 | Gloucester County | 31β4 | NJCAA Tournament | ||||||
1980β81 | Gloucester County | 32β5 | NJCAA Tournament | ||||||
1981β82 | Gloucester County | 26β7 | |||||||
1982β83 | Gloucester County | 28β5 | |||||||
1983β84 | Gloucester County | 29β5 | |||||||
1984β85 | Gloucester County | 30β4 | NJCAA Tournament | ||||||
1985β86 | Gloucester County | 32β5 | NJCAA Tournament | ||||||
Gloucester County: | 227β46 | ||||||||
Total: | 227β46 | ||||||||
National champion
Postseason invitational champion
|
College
Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Coppin State Eagles (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) (1986β2014) | |||||||||
1986β87 | Coppin State | 8β19 | 7β6 | 4th | |||||
1987β88 | Coppin State | 13β14 | 8β7 | 5th | |||||
1988β89 | Coppin State | 18β11 | 11β5 | 3rd | |||||
1989β90 | Coppin State | 26β7 | 15β1 | 1st | NCAA First Round | ||||
1990β91 | Coppin State | 19β11 | 14β2 | 1st | NIT First Round | ||||
1991β92 | Coppin State | 15β13 | 9β7 | Tβ4th | |||||
1992β93 | Coppin State | 22β8 | 16β0 | 1st | NCAA First Round | ||||
1993β94 | Coppin State | 22β8 | 16β0 | 1st | |||||
1994β95 | Coppin State | 21β10 | 15β1 | 1st | NIT Second Round | ||||
1995β96 | Coppin State | 19β10 | 14β2 | Tβ1st | |||||
1996β97 | Coppin State | 22β9 | 15β3 | 1st | NCAA Second Round | ||||
1997β98 | Coppin State | 21β8 | 17β1 | 1st | |||||
1998β99 | Coppin State | 15β14 | 14β4 | Tβ1st | |||||
1999β00 | Coppin State | 15β15 | 13β5 | Tβ2nd | |||||
2000β01 | Coppin State | 13β15 | 11β8 | 5th | |||||
2001β02 | Coppin State | 6β25 | 3β15 | 10th | |||||
2002β03 | Coppin State | 11β17 | 11β7 | Tβ4th | |||||
2003β04 | Coppin State | 18β14 | 14β4 | Tβ1st | |||||
2004β05 | Coppin State | 14β15 | 13β5 | Tβ2nd | |||||
2005β06 | Coppin State | 12β18 | 12β6 | 2nd | |||||
2006β07 | Coppin State | 12β20 | 9β9 | 8th | |||||
2007β08 | Coppin State | 16β21 | 7β9 | Tβ7th | NCAA First Round | ||||
2008β09 | Coppin State | 13β19 | 9β7 | Tβ3rd | |||||
2009β10 | Coppin State | 8β22 | 3β13 | 11th | |||||
2010β11 | Coppin State | 16β14 | 11β5 | Tβ2nd | |||||
2011β12 | Coppin State | 14β16 | 9β7 | 6th | |||||
2012β13 | Coppin State | 8β24 | 5β11 | Tβ9th | |||||
2013β14 | Coppin State | 12β20 | 7β9 | 7th | |||||
Coppin State: | 429β417 | 308β159 | |||||||
Total: | 429β417 | ||||||||
National champion
Postseason invitational champion
|
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Ron "Fang" Mitchell". Coppin State University. 2012. Archived from the original on March 29, 2014.
- β Jensen, Mike (August 5, 1989). "'Fang' Coach Taking Coppin State To The Big Time". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
- 1 2 3 http://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/coaches/fang-mitchell-1.html
- β Bembry, Jerry (February 3, 1998). "Coach doesn't put price on loyalty". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
- β http://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/coppin-state/1997.html
- β Markus, Don (March 28, 2014). "Fang Mitchell out as Coppin State men's basketball coach". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
- β "Yvonne Fortson Mitchell, 56, college administrator...". Baltimore Sun. January 13, 2002. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
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