Article on Terri Mitchell

[rocky_warrior]

Given the success of the women's team this year, I though this deserved to be posted. 

http://www.pennlive.com/sports/patriotnews/index.ssf?/base/sports/116970275026370.xml&coll=1

Golden Eagles reflect coach
Marquette thrives with Mitchell
Thursday, January 25, 2007
BY BOB BLACK
Of The Patriot-News

Playing on losing basketball teams at Duquesne University in the late 1980s had a profound effect on Terri Mitchell.

When she played high school basketball for Joe Bressi at Bishop McDevitt, Mitchell was used to playing on a team that was in constant contention for some kind of title while involved in postseason play.

"We won over 100 games the four seasons I was at McDevitt," she said.

"I was unhappy as a player at Duquesne. Don't get me wrong, I felt I got a good education there, but I felt we could have done so much more on the basketball court.

"I never felt the importance of winning was stressed enough there, so that's one of the things I've always tried to make important in my coaching philosophy."

Mitchell has already scored more than 200 victories since taking over as Marquette's women's basketball coach for the 1996-97 season and regularly has the Golden Eagles in tournament contention.

This year's 17th ranked team, which ran its record to 18-2 with a 71-62 victory over visiting Notre Dame Tuesday night, is no exception.

She spent five years at Marquette prior to receiving the head coaching job preparing for the experience.

Mitchell was 21-10 her first season at Marquette, which was 13 wins better than the previous year's 8-20 mark.

She has followed that first-year, 20-win season with five more and is poised to make it a seventh time.

"I've had a great group of players who have adapted well to my system at Marquette," Mitchell said. "The four seniors who lead this year's team play together well and have been great role models for the younger players.

"It's important to have good senior leadership and I've been fortunate enough to have that a number of times here."

One thing Mitchell doesn't have on this year's team are any Central Pennsylvania players.

The distance between Milwaukee and Harrisburg is about 760 miles, which inhibits Mitchell from recruiting central Pennsylvania.

The majority of players are from the midwest -- mainly Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan.

"I guess after living in Milwaukee for 16 years I kind of consider this home," she said. "But my family still lives in the Harrisburg area, so I'm back there frequently.

"It's tough recruiting against schools who can give kids a place to play closer to home. But, nevertheless, I'm always on the lookout."

As a Midwestern school playing in the Big East Conference, Mitchell is aware of the recruiting pitfalls when she competes with programs from the East.

Marquette's women played their first season in the Big East last year and finished with a 22-11 overall record.

"It's a challenge," she said. "Schools in the East consider players from their region to be their own personal property, much like Midwestern coaches feel about players from their own area.

"But, playing in the Big East gives us [Marquette] an advantage in that we will be playing against some of the best teams from that region in one of the strongest conferences in the NCAA. That's a strong point we stress when we're going after players."

Mitchell became interested in coaching while a player at Duquesne.

"I used to work at basketball camps in the summers and would meet head coaches while I was there," she said.

"When I told them about my interest of going into coaching I ran into a lot of coaches who were more than willing to help me learn and get started.

"That's when I knew I was going to stay in the coaching business."

Mitchell's teams played in the NCAA tournaments four consecutive years starting with her first season. Last year's team reached the final of the WNIT.

"I'm very happy with the career I've had here at Marquette," Mitchell said. "I consider myself fortunate that it's been as successful as it has."

All it took was a few losing seasons in college to show her how much better winning felt.

BOB BLACK: 255-8183 or bblack@patriot-news.com

[SPL]

Just curious, but does anyone remember who coached the women before Terri, and what became of him/her?

[MUCrisco]

It was Jim Jabir.  Terri Mitchell was an assistant under him.  He left to coach @ Providence and now coaches @ Dayton.