Few have matched the success of head coach Terri Mitchell. None of her predecessors have matched her level of success. And as each game passes, she continues to rewrite the Marquette history books.
Mitchell owns more wins, has a better winning percentage and has taken her teams to more post-season action -six NCAA Tournaments and three WNIT's - than any previous Marquette women's basketball coach. In each of the last five seasons, the Golden Eagles have earned a postseason berth - including last season's run to the NCAA Tournament.
The 2006-07 season was one for the history books as Mitchell guided the Golden Eagles their best season ever, a 26-7 overall record. It was the seventh season in which her team won 20 or more games. After being picked eighth in the preseason poll, Marquette started the season winning 15 of its first 16 games, and jumped into the national polls for the first time since the 1999-2000 season. The season for the ages include a school record 14-game win streak. In BIG EAST Play, the Golden Eagles finished tied for second place with a 12-4 conference record. For her efforts, Mitchell received the league's highest honor and was named the BIG EAST Coach of the Year. It was Mitchell's third coach of the year honor.
More awards continued to flood in for Mitchell following the 2006-07 season as she was elected to the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Executive Committee as its Treasurer and tabbed the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Division I Women's Coach of the Year.
Her student-athletes have earned numerous individual accolades, both on and off the court. Since 1996, 17 of Mitchell's players have earned All-Conference honors, while two have achieved All-America status, with Krystal Ellis becoming MU's latest All-America selection following the 2006-07 season. 27 have earned spots on the league's Academic Honor Roll and twice has a Golden Eagles women's basketball player earned GTE Academic All-American status.
On the court, Mitchell's teams are known for their high basketball IQ, combining a well-balanced offense with a tenacious style of defense.
Off the court, Mitchell's teams are also known for their academic excellence. During her tenure as head coach, Marquette has graduated every player that has stayed for all four years of academics and athletics.
Since becoming the fourth women's basketball coach in Marquette University history, Terri Mitchell has paved a path of excellence.
That path began in her very first year, as Mitchell was at the helm for the largest turnaround in school history. She guided MU to a 21-10 record in 1996-97, which was 13 wins better than the previous season's record of 8-20. It was the largest turnaround of any first-year head coach and third-best single-season turnaround among all NCAA Division I schools that year.
Since then. Mitchell has compiled a 217-116 overall record - an average of over 19 wins per season - which includes nine trips to the postseason and seven 20-win seasons.
"Terri has been a big part of the continuing growth and success of Marquette women's basketball," former Marquette Director of Athletics Bill Cords said. "Her commitment to success and her passion for the game of basketball, her players, Marquette and the Milwaukee community is very clear and self-evident."
Last season, Marquette made a trip back to the "big dance" behind the inside-outside combination of All-BIG EAST First Team selections Krystal Ellis and Christina Quaye, and the leadership of three other seniors, Jasmine McCullough, Danielle Kamm and Efueko Osagie-Landry. The tandem of Ellis and Quaye was recognized for their play with First Team All-BIG EAST honors. It was the first time in program history two players were first team all-conference selections simultaneously.
Mitchell helped lead Marquette back to national prominence as the Golden Eagles won a school record 26 games, including a record 14 straight, and jumped back into the national polls for the first time since the 1999-2000 season on December 4 and remained among the top-25 for the remainder of the season. Ten games into the season at Oakland University on Dec. 9, 2006, Mitchell won her 200th game.
In 2005-06, Marquette made a remarkable postseason run, advancing to the championship game of the Women's National Invitation Tournament. Led by All-BIG EAST honorees Christina Quaye, Carolyn Kieger, and BIG EAST All-Rookie team member Krystal Ellis, the Golden Eagles posted a 22-11 overall record, including a 9-7 record in conference play before falling in the final game at Kansas State.
During the 2004-05 campaign, MU qualified for its third consecutive postseason appearance by earning a spot in the WNIT. Led by Second Team All-Conference USA honorees Carolyn Kieger and Christina Quaye, the Golden Eagles finished with an overall record of 18-12.
In 2003-04, the team tied a school record for wins, with 22, and advanced to the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament. In the first round, playing as the ninth seed in the Mideast Region, MU defeated Old Dominion, 67-64 as Christina Quaye hit the go-ahead layup with 5.8 seconds left. In the next game, the Golden Eagles gave the nation's No. 1 ranked team, Duke, all it could handle and opened the eyes of many around the country.
The 2003-04 campaign was typical of the Terri Mitchell era. Offensively, the team was balanced, as eight different players led the team in scoring during a game over the course of the season. Games were won with defense and teamwork, as MU led Conference USA in scoring defense, yielding just 57.2 points per contest.
Mitchell led the 2002-03 Golden Eagles to a 16-14 mark and a spot in the Women's National Invitation Tournament, advancing to the second round. That season, the team set new school records in three-point shooting and free throw shooting percentages.
In the third game of the 2001-02 season, Mitchell reached the 100-victory milestone, as the Golden Eagles downed Alaska-Anchorage, 88-50, in the Great Alaska Shootout. On Jan. 27, she became the Marquette's all-time winningest coach in a 65-44 victory over Tulane. That season, the Golden Eagles continued to be one of the best defensive squads in the nation, holding the opposition to just 59.6 points per game. That total was tied for the top spot in Conference USA and tied for 10th in the NCAA.
At the end of that season, Mitchell was nominated to the Board of Directors of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association, an honor that she took great pride in.
"I think it is a great opportunity to give back to the profession," Mitchell said of the position with the WBCA. "I feel very strongly that so much has been done to pave the way for young coaches to have an opportunity to coach the sport we love. Now, it is time for the younger coaches to give back. When asked to do so, there was no hesitation to say yes."
From 1996-2000, Mitchell led the Golden Eagles to four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and four straight 20-win seasons - the first such streaks in the program history. For her efforts, she was honored by her peers as Conference USA Coach of the Year twice, in 1999 and 2000.
Her 1999-2000 squad finished the season in fine fashion, winning 13 of its last 15 regular season contests as it claimed the regular season C-USA championship and berth in the NCAA Mideast regional. Guiding her squad to a 14-2 conference record, Mitchell earned her second C-USA Coach of the Year honor. That season, Marquette led Conference USA and was 10th in the nation in defense with a 36.4 shooting percentage allowed.
Mitchell led the 1998-99 squad to a 21-8 overall mark and a 12-4 record in C-USA play. For her efforts, Mitchell was named the Wisconsin Women's Basketball Coaches Association Women's Basketball Coach of the Year. Marquette allowed its foes to shoot just 39.0 percent from the field and out-rebounded its foes by 8.0 boards per game, a stat that topped C-USA and was sixth in the nation.
In 1997-98, the Golden Eagles finished 22-7 overall and 13-3 record in Conference USA play, capturing the American Division title en route to being named the 1998 Conference USA Coach of the Year.
In her first season at the helm of the Golden Eagles, Mitchell set a few precedents. She shattered the record for most wins by a Marquette first-year head coach, with 21, and holds the distinction of reaching 50 wins faster than any coach in Marquette history. In addition, she became the only coach in school history to take her team to the NCAA Tournament in her first season.
Not only did she take the 1996-97 Golden Eagles to the Big Dance, but they also recorded the first NCAA Tournament win in school history.
Prior to becoming head coach, Mitchell had been an assistant for the Golden Eagles five seasons. She was instrumental in recruiting Marquette's 1996-97 freshman class, which was ranked 12th in the nation by the Blue Star Index. Marquette posted an 87-61 record and made three postseason appearances during Mitchell's tenure as an assistant.
In addition to her basketball duties, Mitchell is active in the community and is very involved with charitable events. Through her work, she has touched th lives of many. She was named a Woman of Influence in the category of inspiration by the Milwaukee Business Journal in June of 2007.
She is an avid speaker on campus, local schools, nonprofit organizations and basketball clinics. Through her speaking engagements she instills the foundations of the program that surround five principles; believe, commit, mature, respect and thankfulness. She also hosts motivational breakfasts entitled "Breakfast with Terri," to Milwaukee area business women.
Mitchell believes in giving back to the profession and the community by serving on Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) committees as well as the board, the Midwest Athletes against Childhood Cancer (MACC) Fund Board of Directors and and many other service-oriented groups. In May of 2006, Mitchell took a mission trip to Rwanda where she spent 16 days and learned many life lessons.
Service is not only a large part of Mitchell's life but it is of her team as well. The Golden Eagles are involved in many service projects throughout the year including Al's Run and Walk, Susan B. Komen Race for the Cure and the American Heart Association.
A native of Harrisburg, Pa., Mitchell was a four-year letterwinner and team co-captain at Duquesne. After an outstanding career with the Dukes, Mitchell graduated cum laude with a psychology degree in 1989. She began her coaching career serving as a graduate assistant at Arizona State during the 1989-90 season.
|
