CINCINNATI — Wilberforce University men's basketball coach Mark Mitchell, who led the Taft High School boys basketball team to its first state championship, has died. Mitchell was 56 years old.
"He was more than just a coach," said former NFL player Adolphus Washington, a 2012 Taft graduate.
"He is what you want as a coach, as a father figure, as a mentor. He was overall a person you would want to have in your corner."
Mitchell, the father of Indiana Fever guard and former Ohio State star Kelsey Mitchell, was the Wilberforce University men's basketball coach the past four seasons. Wilberforce is an NAIA program in Wilberforce, Ohio.
The Wilberforce athletics department issued a statement on social media Tuesday. It reads in part:
"While his title was Men's Basketball Coach, he made an impact on not just his players but the entire campus community both on and off the court. We join with countless others in mourning this great loss, but we remain grounded in knowing that he lived an exceptional life and left a legacy that will live on in every young man and woman he ever coached."
Withrow boys basketball coach Berdo Allen, a 2023 Taft High School Athletics Hall of Fame inductee, said Mitchell made a significant impact on countless lives over the years. Mitchell was assistant coach while Allen played at Taft from 1994-1996.
"He was tough and loving at the same time," Allen said. "It just took my breath away (hearing the news). He always said if I ever needed anything to call him. His honesty got us prepared for the real world. Coach Mitch loved to teach, coach and support others. He was never too big for anybody."
Prior to Wilberforce, Mitchell returned to coach high school basketball in the Cincinnati area after he had been an Ohio State women's basketball assistant coach for five seasons.
Mitchell helped his daughter Kelsey become Ohio State’s first four-time All-American in women’s basketball and the fastest player in NCAA women's basketball history to reach 2,000 points en route to becoming the program's all-time scoring leader. Kelsey Mitchell, inducted into Ohio State's Athletics Hall of Fame this past fall, was selected by the Indiana Fever as the No. 2 overall selection in the 2018 WNBA Draft.
"As a program, we are devastated to hear of the passing of former assistant coach Mark Mitchell," Ohio State women's basketball head coach Kevin McGuff said in a statement to WCPO 9. "Mark was extremely dedicated to his family, friends and players. His passion for young people allowed him to positively shape the lives of so many who had to the privilege of playing for him. We mourn with Cheryl, Kelsey, Chelsea, Kevin, Cam and the extended family. Mark will always remain in our thoughts and prayers."
Mark Mitchell led the Taft boys basketball team to the 2011 Division III state title in the Senators' first-ever state final appearance. Taft won 25 games that season and never lost to an Ohio team.
"He believed in us," Washington said. "He believed in what we could do. He had all the confidence in the world in us."
There are so many words to describe Mitchell, Washington said. Loving. Caring. Disciplined. Mitchell had a deep commitment to family and always had a smile on his face.
"He went above and beyond" to help others, Washington said. "He was just overall a great coach, husband, father, son."
Indian Hill boys basketball coach Ricardo Hill said Mitchell's contributions to high school basketball are very significant especially for Taft's state championship. He said Taft's basketball program had "remarkable" success in basketball and beyond thanks to Mitchell's leadership. His dedication to basketball, family and the community will be missed.
"It's a sad day for Cincinnati," Hill said.
During Mitchell's head coaching tenure at Taft from 2002 to 2013, the Senators won eight Cincinnati Metro Athletic Conference titles, nine sectional and four district titles and the state title. For his efforts, he was voted CMAC coach of the year eight times.
Mitchell turned around the Senators’ program instantly in his first year, going 22-3 and winning the city championship after inheriting a program coming off 10 consecutive losing seasons, according to his coaching biography.
"Coach Mark Mitchell was a motivational and inspirational coach that always shared his passion and energy with the students of CPS," said Josh Hardin, Cincinnati Public Schools Athletics Manager.
"He was a different kind of coach, he was a state champion level coach that elevated the students and staff around him. "His presence in the basketball world and Cincinnati community will be sorely missed."
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.
Former longtime La Salle basketball coach Dan Fleming was friends with Mitchell for many years.
"He was a big-hearted person who cared about his guys," Fleming said. "It's just a tremendous loss for basketball and Cincinnati specifically."
Mitchell also coached at Western Hills for the 2018-19 season. He returned to Taft as an assistant coach for the 2019-20 season. He previously coached at Western Hills as a varsity boys basketball assistant and junior varsity head coach in 1997-98. He was the program’s varsity summer league head coach in 1997.
In addition to coaching, Mitchell worked as a physical education and health teacher at Taft, Winton Woods (2002-03) and in the Lakota Schools from 1993-2002.
Mitchell, a 1985 Princeton High School graduate, was an offensive tackle on Princeton's 1983 Division I football state championship team. He later played at Eastern Kentucky University and had a tryout with the Detroit Lions, according to Allen.
"He was a Princeton legend," Allen said.
