Fang Mitchell facts for kids
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 8, 1948 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Thomas Edison State College Coppin State University |
| Playing career | |
| 1969–1971 | Gloucester County CC |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1978–1986 | Gloucester County CC |
| 1986–2014 | Coppin State |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 429–417 (college) 227–46 (junior college) |
| Tournaments | 1–4 (NCAA Division I) 1–2 (NIT) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 10 MEAC regular season (1990, 1991, 1993–1999, 2004) 4 MEAC tournament (1990, 1993, 1997, 2008) |
|
| Awards | |
| 6× MEAC Coach of the Year (1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1998, 2004) | |
Ronald L. "Fang" Mitchell (born February 8, 1948) is a famous American college basketball coach. He used to be the head coach for the men's basketball team at Coppin State University.
Contents
Fang Mitchell's Early Life and Work
Fang Mitchell was born in Philadelphia and grew up in Camden, New Jersey. He went to Woodrow Wilson High School. After high school, he worked in factories and service jobs. He couldn't afford college right away.
Later, he attended Gloucester County College. He played basketball there while also working at night. He was a computer operator at a bank. After a year at Rutgers University–Camden, he started a business career. He managed a shoe company and sold printing services. He even opened his own clothing store called Mr. Fang's Athletic Attire. It grew from one store to three!
Coaching Basketball Teams
Coaching at Gloucester County College
In 1978, Fang Mitchell became the head coach at Gloucester County College. He had no coaching experience before this. The team, called the Gloucester County Roadrunners, was not doing well. But in his first year, he led them to a great 19–11 record.
After that, his teams had amazing seasons. They won 26 or more games each year until 1986. Gloucester County also played in the NJCAA tournament several times. While coaching, Mitchell also helped at basketball camps. He became good friends with Temple University coach John Chaney. Mitchell also earned a degree in business in 1984.
Coaching at Coppin State University
In 1986, Coppin State University hired Mitchell as their head coach. He coached the Coppin State Eagles men's basketball team for 28 seasons. While coaching, he also earned his master's degree in 1994.
Mitchell was named the best coach in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) six times. He led Coppin State to win their conference's regular season ten times. His teams also made it to the NCAA tournament four times.
His first Coppin State team had an 8–19 record. But by the 1989–90 season, they were 26–7. They even played in the 1990 NCAA tournament. That season, they also beat a strong team from Maryland. In 1993, Coppin State finished first in their conference. They also played in the 1993 NCAA tournament.
In 1995, another university offered Mitchell a coaching job. The salary was much higher, but he decided to stay at Coppin State. In 1997, Coppin State made it to the NCAA Tournament again. They were a #15 seed, which means they were expected to lose. But they surprised everyone by beating #2 South Carolina in the first round! They lost a close game in the second round. Mitchell's last NCAA Tournament appearance with Coppin State was in 2008.
Coppin State decided not to renew Mitchell's contract in 2014. This happened after the team had a few tough seasons.
Fang Mitchell's Family Life
Fang Mitchell married Yvonne Forston in 1990. They were married until she passed away in 2002.
