Mark Mitchell, who served as an assistant coach for the Ohio State women’s basketball team for several years, has died. He was 56 years old.
Mitchell most recently spent the past four seasons coaching the Wilberforce University men’s basketball team. Wilberforce competes in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.
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The Ohio State Buckeyes logo is seen at midcourt before an NCAA women’s basketball game at Value City Arena on February 8, 2023 in Columbus, Ohio. (Adam Cairns – Columbus Contingent)
“Although his title was men’s basketball coach, he impacted not only his players, but the entire campus community on and off the court. We join countless others in mourning this great loss. But we are grounded in the belief that we know that he lived an extraordinary life and left a legacy that will live on in all the young men and women he mentored.” Wilberforce Athletics said in a statement.
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During his time in Columbus, Mitchell helped coach the Buckeyes to two Big Ten Conference regular season titles. She appeared in the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament four times while Ohio State was off the bench.
“As a program, we are shocked to hear of the passing of former assistant coach Mark Mitchell,” Ohio State head coach Kevin McGuff said in a statement. “Mark was an extremely dedicated person to his family, friends and players. His passion for young people positively shaped the lives of many who had the privilege of playing for him. I was able to.”
A basketball is placed on the court before the first round game of the NCAA Women’s Tournament between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Maine Black Bears at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio on Friday. (Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch/USA TODAY NETWORK)
Mitchell is also the father of WNBA star Kelsey Mitchell. Before he was selected No. 2 overall in the 2018 draft, he played at Ohio State University from 2014 to 2018, where he earned All-American honors all four years.
Mitchell had a successful career as a high school basketball coach. He led Taft High School in the Cincinnati area to a state championship in his 2011 year.
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“He was more than just a coach,” former Ohio State football star and former NFL player Adolphus Washington, a Taft High School graduate, said in a statement sent to Cincinnati news station WCPO-TV. I mentioned it inside. “He’s the kind of guy you want as a coach, as a father figure, as a mentor. Overall, he was the kind of guy you wanted to have in your corner.”
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