Ron Mitchell (coach)

For the American college basketball coach born in 1948 as Ronald Mitchell, see Fang Mitchell.

Ron Mitchell

Mitchell, circa 1965
Biographical details
Born	(1938-09-29) September 29, 1938 (age 87) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Alma mater	Kentucky State College
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1968	Boston University (freshmen)
1969–1971	Boston University (defensive coordinator) [1]
1982	Kentucky State (interim HC)
1985	Alabama State (interim HC)
Men's basketball
1968–?	Boston University (freshmen)
1971–1974	Boston University
1974–1976	Grinnell
1981–1982	Kentucky State
Women's basketball
1980–1981	Kentucky State (interim HC)
1986–1998	Alabama State
Head coaching record
Overall	3–13 (football) 53–88 (men's basketball)

Ronald Mitchell (born September 29, 1938) is an American former college football and college basketball coach.

Biography

A Chicago native, Mitchell attended Crane High School there, where he was captain of the basketball and football teams. ^[2] He went on to play both college basketball and college football at Kentucky State College. ^[3] He later served in the United States Army at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri. ^[3] He received a master's degree in health, physical education and recreation from Indiana University in 1967. ^[4]

Mitchell became the first African American appointed to a full-time athletics position at Boston University when we was hired as an assistant football and basketball coach in 1968. ^[5] In 1971, he became the first African American appointed as head basketball coach for a major college program, also at Boston University. ^[3]

Mitchell served as a head coach in three different college sports: men's basketball, women's basketball, and football:

• He was the head men's basketball coach at Boston University from 1971 to 1974, at Grinnell College from 1974 to 1976, and at Kentucky State University for one season in 1981–82.
• He was the interim head women's basketball coach at Kentucky State in 1980–81; the team won the 1981 NAIA women's basketball championship and Mitchell was named NAIA Coach of the Year. ^[6] He served as the head women's basketball coach at Alabama State University from 1986 to 1998.
• He was the interim head football coach at Kentucky State for the final five games on the 1982 season and the interim head football coach at Alabama State for the 1985 season. ^[7]

Head coaching record

Football

Year	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Bowl/playoffs
Kentucky State Thorobreds (NCAA Division II independent)(1982)
1982	Kentucky State	0–5 [n 1]
Kentucky State:		0–5
Alabama State Hornets (Southwestern Athletic Conference)(1985)
1985	Alabama State	3–8	2–5	6th
Alabama State:		3–8	2–5
Total:		3–13

Notes

1. LeRoy Smith resigned on October 19. Mitchell served as interim head coach for the remainder of the season. ^[8]

References

1. Concannon, Joe (December 6, 1971). "BU five has 'attitude,' Galvin, Boyd help too". The Boston Globe . p. 31. Retrieved March 4, 2023– via newspapers.com.
2. Concannon, Joe (March 2, 1971). "Mitchell sees rosy BU future". The Boston Globe . p. 28. Retrieved March 4, 2023– via newspapers.com.
3. "Ron Mitchell, A Black, Named BU Cage Coach". Valley News . Lebanon, New Hampshire. UPI. March 2, 1971. p. 9. Retrieved March 4, 2023– via newspapers.com.
4. "Mitchell, Ky. State Aide, Takes Boston U. Position". The Courier-Journal . Louisville, Kentucky. May 29, 1968. p. B9. Retrieved March 4, 2023– via newspapers.com.
5. "Boston University Names Negro Coach". Albany Democrat-Herald . Albany, Oregon. AP. May 29, 1968. p. 11. Retrieved March 4, 2023– via newspapers.com.
6. "KSU 1981 Women's Basketball National Champs to be Honored at NAIA Championships". ksuthorobreds.com. March 6, 2013. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
7. Kentucky State University Football Media Guide, Coaching Records — via kysu.edu
8. "Final 1982 Cumulative Football Statistics Report" (PDF). NCAA.org. National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved December 26, 2012.