Jim Mitchell is in his ninth year as a coach for the Wisconsin women's openweight rowing program, spending his first five years as an assistant coach until becoming associate head coach in 2020.
Beginning in 2017-18, Mitchell assisted then-head coach Bebe Bryans with the varsity squad, and finished the season coaching the varsity four to a 15th-place finish at the 2018 NCAA Championships and the second varsity eight to a 12th-place finish in 2019. The second varsity eight also placed 12th at the 2021 NCAA Championships.
In his first year with the program in 2015-16, Mitchell led both novice eights to undefeated seasons, including directing each boat to titles at the Big Ten championships.
He began the 2016-17 season coaching the novice and freshman rowers, then transitioned into coaching the varsity fours in the spring, capping off the season by leading the varsity four to a seventh-place finish at the NCAA championships.
Mitchell spent the prior 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. 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.
As a student-athlete, Mitchell was a rower and a member of the top-20 wrestling 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.
Mitchell currently resides in Verona with his wife, Jackie, and daughter, Olivia.
Mitchel Q&A
Why did you choose to become a coach?
Becoming a coach was a way for me to stay in the sport that I fell in love with, and still gave me a way to compete.
Why the University of Wisconsin?
The reputation of the rowing program is what attracted me: the tough, gritty, “find-a-way” type of athletes that row here are special.
What is your favorite part about coaching?
My favorite part of coaching is helping people reach their highest, most challenging goals.
What is special about coaching at Wisconsin?
The resources and support are amazing, but the people (coaches, athletes and support staff) are who make it the most special place to work. It’s a hard job that is made fun.
Speak on one of your favorite memories from coaching at Wisconsin.
I’ll give you two. The first year I was here, I worked with the freshmen. Both freshmen eights won every single race that season, including the Big Ten. The second is the varsity four I worked with in 2017 who finished seventh in the country. They were relentless and scrappy and fun.
What do you do outside of coaching?
I like to ride my bikes, grow veggies in my garden, go camping with my family, play in the snow and on the ice. So many fun things to do here year-round.
What do you look for in recruits?
I appreciate recruits who get the most out of contributing to the boat/team, who are passionate and are always willing to learn, who can be focused and have fun at the same time. People who want to grow.
