Mitchell makes the Move
Published on Thursday, August 16, 2007 - West Chicago Press
By John Barrett
It may seem unusual, but the move feels just right for Beth Mitchell.
After a long, successful career at the College of DuPage, Mitchell, a 15-year resident of Downers Grove, resigned effective June 1 from her post with the Chaparrals to become the new girls varsity basketball coach at Wheaton Academy.
"I was fortunate to have some very successful years at COD but I really feel like God had put this opportunity in front of me for a reason," Mitchell said. "Being able to continue coaching is very exciting for me but the biggest reason I came here was because of the counseling job."
Mitchell, who has a master's in counseling from National Louis University, will work one-on-one with students, helping them cope with multiple issues. She had a somewhat similar role as an athletic academic advisor at COD, but she worked mostly with the student-athletes in areas like class registration and academic eligibility.
"Beth has obviously been extremely successful and has demonstrated a pattern of real excellence at COD," said Jon Keith, chief operating officer at Wheaton Academy and a person involved with the job search. "We've had some of our graduates go through her program there, so she knows our students and our school."
"Be she was also a great fit for what we were looking for as a Christian school -- in terms of faith, mentoring and discipling our dids," Keith added.
She has never coached in the high school ranks, because COD has been her only coaching job, aside from some scattered work in recreational leagues and park districts.
And her resume with the Chaparrals is full of highlights.
For 10 years, she worked with women's basketball head coach Earl Reed, who led COD to National Junior College Athletic Association Division III national championships in 2000 and 2002.
Mitchell's teams also won three North Central Community College Conference titles and four Region IV titles.
In her five years as head coach, Mitchell led COD to a 119-42 record, including four top-five national tournament finishes.
Her overall record at COD is 340-96, which includes seven years as assistant women's volleyball coach, with the team winning back-to-back national titles in 1998 and 1999.
Mitchell looks to continue that kind of success with the Warriors, with whom she will tweak but not drastically change her coaching philosophies.
"I am very defensive-oriented so we will have to put the focus there -- it's more about heart than skill," Mitchell said. "It's a bit of a cliche, but I believe while offense wins games, defense wins championships."
Mitchell succeeds Tom Jamerson, who had served as Wheaton Academy's girls basketball coach for the last two years. He accepted the job of athletic director at Charlotte (NC) Christian School.
She has spent her time at Wheaton Academy running basketball camps for high school, middle school and elementary school girls, moving into her office and being embraced by everyone she meets.
"It's been awesome, everyone here has been very inviting, welcoming -- it's been a great transition over the course of the last month," Mitchell said. "I'm excited to be part of this school."