Head coach Bebe Bryans announced Mitchell hiring and LaRocque promotion
Aug. 27, 2015
MADISON, Wis. - When you have an opportunity to hire an assistant coach who as a head coach led his school to its first two NCAA championship appearances the past two years, you jump at the chance. Wisconsin women's rowing head coach Bebe Bryans has done just that, hiring Jacksonville University head coach Jim Mitchell as an assistant coach for the Badgers.
"Jim brings a wealth of experience to Wisconsin and I feel so fortunate to be able to bring him on to our team," Bryans remarked. "Just like recruiting athletes, you can look for top talent, and you can look for strong character. When you are lucky enough to get both, you know you have a great deal and we got that with Jim. Â
"He loves what rowing can bring to the athletes he coaches, has a proven track record of bringing the crews he works with to the top of their game, he's super positive and level-headed and I'm psyched to have our incoming freshmen meet him and get started." Â
Mitchell spent the last 12 years as the director of rowing and head rowing coach at Jacksonville, including the first four coaching both the men's and women's programs. He gravitated towards the men beginning in 2007, and led the men's varsity eight to its first Intercollegiate Rowing Association National Championships appearance during the 2010 campaign. He then switched to primarily coaching the women with the start of the 2011-12 season. Since that time, he directed the Dolphins to NCAA championship appearances in 2014 and 2015 after winning consecutive Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) championships and grabbing automatic bids. Mitchell was named the MAAC Women's 2014 and 2015 Coach of the Year and saw JU's varsity eight and second varsity eight crews garner 2014 and 2015 Rowing All-MAAC Team honors.
Prior to his time at Jacksonville, Mitchell served as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at West Virginia University for the 2002-03 season, working under current UW assistant coach Nancy LaRocque. In just that one year, Mitchell helped WVU win the San Diego Crew Classic, the Knecht Cup, Southern Intercollegiate Rowing Association (SIRA's) and also earn medals at the Big East Championships, the Head of the Charles and Dad Vails. That success earned him Mid-Atlantic Regional Assistant Coach of the Year honors, and led him to become one of five finalists for National Assistant Coach of the Year.
The previous four years, Mitchell was the men's rowing coach at the University of Miami, while also serving as the boatman for both the men's and women's rowing teams. From 1994-98, he was the head rowing coach for the Atlanta Junior Rowing Association.
"I think it is an amazing opportunity to work for such a storied program with such history and tradition." Mitchell said. "I look forward to being able to contribute to the Badger way however I can. Bebe is just such a high-level coach who is well-known throughout the coaching ranks. I look forward to having her as a mentor to learn from, and to work with someone with her experience and results."
As a student-athlete, Mitchell was a rower and a member of the top-20 wresting program at University of Tennessee-Chattanooga. He earned the Senior Rower Award while with the Mocs rowing program and trained under former Badger rower and Olympian Robert Espeseth, Jr. He received his bachelor's degree in business management from Chattanooga in 1992 and went on to earn his master's in special education from Georgia State in 2001.
Along with his duties as coach and director with the Dolphin rowing programs, Mitchell served as the head coach of the Brooks Adaptive Rowing Program at JU and was a member of the board of directors for the Southern Intercollegiate Rowing Association.
He and his wife, Jackie, welcomed their first child, Olivia, in 2014.
Mitchell's position directing the Badgers' novices and freshmen completes an offseason of staff changes for the Badger women's openweight rowing program. Nancy LaRocque, who has coached UW's novices and freshmen the past two seasons, will now serve as the varsity assistant coach, replacing Megan Cooke Carcagno, who left to become the head coach at Duke.
"Nancy is a fantastic teacher and mentor, which has been apparent with our novices and freshmen's successes over the past two seasons," Bryans stated. "Now she will be able to bring her varsity coaching experience into play as well. She has a powerful skill set and we're both really excited to bring her energy to the team."
