Track and Field Coach Dennis Mitchell Receives Contract Extension

AKRON, Ohio – Dennis Mitchell has agreed to a five-year contract extension to remain as The University of Akron's head track and field coach through the 2015-16 season, UA Director of Athletics Tom Wistrcill announced Thursday.

Mitchell, who first came to campus in 1995, just completed his 16th season at the helm and is responsible for elevating the Zips' program to its current elite standing. In the past six years alone, Mitchell, who oversees both the men's and women's indoor and outdoor teams, has guided UA to 13 Mid-American Conference Championships while earning the league's coach of the year honors 14 times.

"Dennis is the best coach in the MAC and one of the best coaches in the country," Wistrcill said. "Our teams have enjoyed remarkable success under his direction and he continues to recruit outstanding student-athletes and compete for championships. We are thrilled that he will be leading our track and field program for years to come."

Mitchell led the UA men's team to their best season in 2011, sweeping both MAC Indoor and Outdoor team titles for the first time in a single season. As a result, he was named MAC Men's Indoor and Outdoor Coach of the Year in addition to earning Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year accolades for the fourth time of his career.

The men finished the outdoor campaign ranked fifth in the region and advanced 14 individuals to the NCAA East Regionals and four to the NCAA Championships. There, sophomore Willie Brown, who set school records in the indoor and outdoor 800-meters in 2011, earned All-America First Team honors while also qualifying for next year's Olympic trials.

In all, Brown was one of six UA student-athletes to earn Outdoor All-America status last season from the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, joining second teamers Collister Fahie (men's long jump) and Katherine Lee (women's pole vault), and honorable mentions Nick Banke (men's discus), Bjorn Johansson (men's decathlon) and Valerie Wert (women's discus).

Since 1998, Mitchell has produced 22 All-Americans, who have garnered a total of 50 All-America honors. Of that esteemed group, two have gone on to win NCAA Championships. Christi Smith captured the heptathlon crown in 2000 and Steve Large won the hammer in 2009. Additionally, a total of 98 Academic All-MAC honors have been bestowed upon UA student-athletes during Mitchell's tenure.

"I am grateful to the University for the support they have given me and the track and field program," Mitchell said. "Our goal is to continue to make Akron Track the best in Ohio and the best in the MAC while also continuing to establish our presence on a national level. My wife, Cindy, and I love this community and we look forward to 16 more years here."

While the men's team dominated the MAC this past season and have won four league championships in the past four years (three outdoor and one indoor), Mitchell initially made his mark at UA on the strength of his women's teams. The Zips' women enjoyed an incredible run of MAC Championships from 2005 to 2009, winning the league's title nine times, including five consecutive indoor crowns from 2005-09 and four straight outdoor championships from 2006-09.

Mitchell, 51, is a native of Rialto, Calif., and a 1985 graduate of Abilene Christian University.