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Mitchell steps down as North coach Mitchell Saturday Jan 20, 2018 at 2:00 AM Jan 20, 2018 at 3:37 PM Kris Henry Mail Tribune @Kris_Henry After 50 years of coaching football in four states and two countries outside the United States, North Medford head coach Mike Mitchell has decided to retire. In a letter to the Mail Tribune, Mitchell said, “It has been a very difficult decision for me because I truly am one of those persons who love what I do. I have enjoyed every position I have been in and I have truly enjoyed my six years in Medford.” With the Black Tornado program back in solid standing after Mitchell initially inherited a winless squad — North Medford has finished among the top four teams in the Southwest Conference in four of the last five seasons — the well-traveled football coach decided it was time to move on and was comfortable with the coaching and player talent he was leaving for his successor to be able to hit the ground running. “I leave a healthy program with a frosh team of 43 and a sophomore class of 33,” he said. “North is going to have another good run just as it did in 2013 and 2014. We now have put a good football staff in place and everybody is headed in the same direction.” The Black Tornado won its first conference title in eight years when it swept the league in 2013, advancing as far as the Class 6A state quarterfinals. That was also the first winning season in the program since 2005. After a couple years of growing pains, Mitchell was able to guide North Medford to a 33-30 record in his six years, but his real triumph was in reinvigorating the atmosphere surrounding the Black Tornado program and creating a feeling of unity at all levels. North Medford athletic director Patrick Grady spoke of Mitchell’s leadership qualities as one of the main factors that will be missed inside the program. “He’s definitely a coach who’s here for his kids,” said Grady, “and he knows the importance as a head football coach — or any coach for that matter — of really grooming kids for their future a lot more than just worrying about the sport itself. He did a good job of getting his kids ready for the demands of life afterward, well beyond sports.” Grady said the paperwork has been submitted to post the coaching vacancy at North Medford, and he expects a high level of interest given the status of the program Mitchell will be handing over. “I think he was able to get things where he wanted it and where it felt like a positive program that could be something for somebody eventually to jump into and be able to run with it,” said Grady. “That’s definitely what he’s done. We’ve got a lot of things dialed in really good for these guys at all three levels of football.” Grady said after gathering the list of applicants, a committee will determine the direction it wants to go. The process could take a couple months. “We want to take our time and find the right candidate,” he said, “so we won’t jump into it too hastily and take just anybody. We’re going to put research into it and try to find right fit for our program.” As for Mitchell, who hopes to be in on that process, he said he hasn’t decided what his plans will be once he wraps up the school year as a teacher at North Medford. “I don’t know at the moment (what I’m going to do), but I’m sure it will involve sports somewhere down the road,” he said. Mitchell began his head football coaching tenure at Hermiston High in 1969 and followed with stints at South Albany (1972-75) and Grants Pass (1975-76) before joining the college ranks at Montana Tech College. He returned to the high school level from 1978-84 at Hidden Valley and was at Oregon City from 1984-86 before becoming assistant head coach and offensive coordinator at Humboldt State from 1986-2000. After six years at DeAnza College, he was at Sandpoint High from 2006-12 before seeing a pair of disturbing scores in the newspaper that showed North Medford losing in routs against Thurston and Crater. “I knew something was screwed up down here and I called (former North AD) Tim Sam and asked for a meeting,” he said. “I simply wanted to come down here and put the wheels back on the wagon,” added Mitchell. “I saw they were 0-10 in 2011 and I knew that wasn’t right.” In his coaching career, which has spanned time in Oregon, Montana, Idaho and California to go with professional runs in Croatia and Sweden, Mitchell has compiled 234 career victories and seen 36 assistant coaches go on to become head coaches. Mitchell said he has been contacted by a few teams in Europe and may consider returning for a third stint in the pro football ranks at some point. If he doesn’t return to the game, he’s content with his final run being at North Medford, where he heaped praise on the support he received during his time with the Black Tornado from the administration, faculty, parents, athletes and boosters. “Fifty years coaching, that’s just phenomenal, and to try to fill those shoes is going to be very, very difficult,” said Grady. “But we’re also rolling in the right direction with the program and where things are at so we’re excited about what the future will bring.” Reach reporter Kris Henry at 541-776-4488, [email protected], www.facebook.com/krishenryMT or www.twitter.com/Kris_Henry