Terri Mitchell - Women's Basketball Coach

Terri Mitchell

Title:
Associate Head Coach
Phone:
412-648-8360
Email:
tmitchell@pitt.edu

One of the most accomplished names in NCAA women’s basketball, Terri Mitchell, enters her fifth season as Associate Head Coach for the Pitt women's basketball program in 2022-23. Mitchell runs the Panthers’ defense and works mainly with the Pitt wing players.

Mitchell, a 1989 graduate of Duquesne University, returned to the city of Pittsburgh with more than 20 years of coaching experience in tow.

Mitchell earned one of her biggest accomplishments of her amazing career this summer as she was inducted into the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame for her standout coaching career at Marquette.

Mitchell’s prowess on the defensive end of the court was on display during the 2021-22 campaign as the Panthers held opponents to 65.1 points per game, their best defensive season since 2017-18. As a team, Pitt held 29 of their 30 opponents to 45% or less shooting as they were one of only two teams in the nation to do so joining the national champions, South Carolina.

Overall, the Panthers held eight of their final nine ACC opponents to less than 70 points scored. Pitt also forced their opponents into an average of 14.8 turnovers per game which marked the most turnovers forced since 2018-19.

Despite a shortened 2020-21 season due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, the Panthers’ point guards developed at a high rate under Mitchell’s watch. Sophomore Dayshanette Harris turned in her most productive season running the point as she improved her assist-to-turnover margin from 0.6 to 1.1 while ranking third in the ACC averaging 4.7 assists per game. Freshman Sandrine Clesca showed flashes of becoming a leader for Pitt at the point as she started the final three games of the season and averaged 6.7 ppg, 2.0 rpg and 1.3 apg across 25.0 minutes per game.

While working with the Pitt point guards in 2019-20, Mitchell helped freshman Dayshanette Harris elevate her game to another level as she spurred the Panthers late season success which ended with a victory in the ACC Tournament. Harris closed out her first season at the helm of the Panthers offense leading the team in scoring, assists and steals. Also during the 2019-20 campaign, sixth-year player Aysia Bugg also had the best season of her career under the tutelage of Mitchell before sustaining a season-ending injury as she was averaging a team-high 12.1 points and 2.3 assists through 20 games. Sophomore Jahsyni Knight also made strides with guidance from Mitchell as she made a career seven starts at point guard and appeared in 30 games.

The all-time winningest women’s basketball coach at Marquette, Mitchell spent 18 years at the helm of the Golden Eagles’ program (1996-2014) and acquired 348 wins while leading the team to the postseason 15 times. Mitchell earned conference coach of the year honors three times – Conference USA (1998, 2000) and Big East (2007). She led the Golden Eagles to 20 or more wins 10 times to go with seven NCAA Tournament appearances and eight trips to the WNIT, including the 2008 WNIT title.

Mitchell's 2002-03 squad started a stretch that saw Marquette qualify for postseason play 11 times in 12 seasons. The Golden Eagles posted several signature program accomplishments in that period including a trip to the WNIT Final in 2006, a school-record 26 wins in 2007 and the school's only WNIT championship in 2008. Marquette also tied its best NCAA Tournament finish twice during that period.

Following her five seasons as assistant coach at Marquette (1991-96), Mitchell was elevated to the helm in 1996. The impact of Mitchell's outstanding leadership was immediate as the Golden Eagles, who won eight games the season prior to Mitchell's promotion, advanced to the NCAA Tournament and won 21 or more games in each of her first four seasons leading the program. Included in that run were a pair of Conference USA regular season championships (1999, 2000).

During her time as an assistant coach, Mitchell was instrumental in recruiting Marquette's 1996-97 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 stint as an assistant.

In addition to her time at Marquette, Mitchell’s extensive experience includes serving as an assistant coach for USA Basketball's U18 Team that won the gold medal while going unbeaten at the 2008 FIBA Americas Championship.

Most recently, Mitchell served as special assistant to Arizona State head coach Charli Turner Thorne during the 2017-18 campaign. With Mitchell on the sidelines, the Sun Devils earned 22 wins and reached the second round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament.

A native of Harrisburg, Pa., Mitchell was a four-year letterwinner and team co-captain at Duquesne. Following an outstanding career with the Dukes, Mitchell graduated cum laude with a psychology degree in 1989. Mitchell began her coaching career as a graduate assistant at Arizona State (1989-91).

Beyond the Bio

Favorite thing to do in the city of Pittsburgh?
I enjoy the different festivals that come to the city and spending time walking along the river at Point Park. And, of course, who doesn’t love a great Steelers game!

Favorite aspect of working in the Pitt Athletics department?
I love being around like-minded people that want to excel in every part of their lives. Pitt is part of the best conference in the country and is committed to the welfare of the student-athlete and maintains a family atmosphere where everyone feels at home.

What do you love most about working in athletics?
I love being able to use the game of basketball to impact lives, most especially those of our players. I also love the platform that basketball gives me to encourage, teach, and motivate others.

What are some of your hobbies outside of work?
I really enjoy golf, hiking, biking and being involved with my church.