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| Marc Mitchell holds the net after his FDU-Florham team won the Division III women's basketball national championship, hosted at UW-Stevens Point in 2014. Photo by Steve Frommell, d3photography.com |
Saint Peter's athletic director Bryan Felt announced the appointment of Marc Mitchell as the eighth head coach of the women's basketball program on Monday. Mitchell comes to Jersey City with an impressive coaching resume including the last nine seasons as head coach at FDU-Florham. He won six straight MAC Freedom titles and claimed a Division III undefeated national championship.
Mitchell is the third Division III head coach to go directly to NCAA Division I in the past two years.
He inherits a program that went 4-26 this past season under Pat Coyle, who stepped down from her position after five years as head coach. The Peacocks lost 24 of their final 25 games and ended the season on a 10-game losing streak.
"Marc has been tremendously successful at every level he has coached," said Felt. "He possesses many of the qualities we are looking for in our next head coach and brings a passionate and dedicated work ethic that will translate to our team. I am extremely excited to have him leading the Saint Peter's Women's Basketball program into the future and to welcome his family into Peacock Nation."
"I am humbled and honored to be the next head women's basketball coach at Saint Peter's University," said Mitchell. "I have worked diligently over my career, chasing my dream of becoming a Division I head coach and today my dream has come true. I am grateful for this amazing opportunity and I look forward to joining the Peacock family."
Mitchell comes to Jersey City after spending the last nine years at the helm of the FDU-Florham women's basketball team. While there, he became the Division III program's all-time winningest coach, compiling a career record of 187-67 (.736). Under his guidance, the Devils claimed an unprecedented six straight Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom championships, making six straight NCAA Division III tournament appearances. During the six-year run, Mitchell's teams won 20 or more games in every season and he won 86.5 percent of his contests posting a 154-24 overall record over the half dozen year span.
Mitchell's best campaign came during the 2013-14 season, when the Devils posted a perfect 33-0 record and capped off the season as the NCAA Division III national champions. The national title was the first in FDU-Florham history and the Devils became the first NCAA Division III women's basketball champions from the state of New Jersey.
In addition to the national title run, Mitchell's squads have made trips to the Elite Eight twice and won at least one NCAA Tournament game in five out of the six appearances.
Mitchell was also suspended for multiple games in 2017. FDU-Florham did not comment on the disciplinary action at the time.
Prior to joining FDU-Florham, Mitchell was the top assistant at Division II Caldwell in 2008-09. He spent 2007-08 as an assistant coach at New Jersey City and the three previous seasons as the head girls' basketball coach at Elizabeth High School. While at Elizabeth, he led the squad to the county aemifinals in 2005 and to the state tournament all three years.
He graduated from Kean in 2000 with a degree in history and he earned his master's in education from American Intercontinental in 2008.
Mitchell currently resides in Elizabeth, New Jersey, with his wife, Winsome, his two daughters, Amira and Jade, and his twin sons, Jemal and Jalen.
From D-III to D-IThe list of coaches to go directly from D-III to D-I head coaching jobs since 2000 is relatively short. Click on the links to see stories on each coach's jump. |
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| Coach, D-III school | D-I school | Year | Best year there | Current job |
| Lisa Stone, UW-Eau Claire | Drake | 2000-01 | 25-8, 2001-02 | D-I St. Louis (26-8 in 15-16) |
| Candace Crabtree, Rowan | Drexel | 2000-01 | 19-10, 2000-01 | Out of coaching |
| Tammy Smith, Muhlenberg | Lafayette | 2001-02 | 14-16, 2007-08 | Out of coaching |
| Julie Goodenough, Hardin-Simmons | Oklahoma St. | 2002-03 | 8-20, 2003-04 | D-I Abilene Christian (26-4 in 15-16) |
| Mary Hegarty, Chapman | Long Beach St. | 2003-04 | 19-9, 2004-05 | Out of coaching |
| Kristin Hughes, Case | Colgate | 2004-05 | 12-18, 2004-05 | Out of coaching |
| Stefanie Pemper, Bowdoin | Navy | 2008-09 | 25-8, 2017-18 | Navy |
| Scott Rueck, George Fox | Oregon St. | 2010-11 | 31-4, 2016-17 | Oregon State |
| Aaron Roussell, Chicago | Bucknell | 2012-13 | 27-6, 2016-17 | Bucknell |
| Greg Todd, Transylvania | Morehead St. | 2013-14 | 21-10, 2016-17 | Morehead State |
| Nancy Fahey, Washington U. | Illinois | 2016-17 | 9-22, 2017-18 | Illinois |
| Loree Payne, Puget Sound | Northern Arizona | 2016-17 | 7-23, 2017-18 | Northern Arizona |
| Marc Mitchell, FDU-Florham | St. Peter | 2017-18 | TBA | St. Peter |