Mitchell ready to take helm of McClain basketball program

GREENFIELD — The McClain Tigers basketball program is looking to get back to the days of playing in district tournaments and competing for league championships on a consistent basis.

To get there, McClain is looking to a former player to get them back on track in Jesse Mitchell, who is no stranger to coaching in the Greenfield school system.

Mitchell, a 1999 graduate of McClain High School, has been an assistant coach for the boys varsity program under Brent Eaton and for the past two seasons was an assistant coach for Jarrod Haines and the McClain varsity girls basketball team. Before that, Mitchell coached at the junior high level as well.

"I knew coach Joe Wisecup was retiring, and the soon-to-be seniors were on me to apply," Mitchell told The Highland County Press. " I was a varsity assistant when Brent Eaton was the head coach, and I wanted to get back to that level. I like that age level, and it is a pretty big job here at McClain.

"This was something I couldn't pass up. When I found out I got the job, and since it is this late in the game, my first thought was I need to get my summer schedule completed."

Mitchell replaces Joe Wisecup as the varsity head coach, as Wisecup retired from coaching following this past season. Wisecup was the head coach for two seasons and the assistant coach for nearly two decades (1988-96, 2001-13).

Last season, the Tigers finished with a 9-14 overall record and 5-9 in the SCOL. The last winning season for the Tigers was the 2009-10 season when MHS was 12-8 overall.

The newest McClain head coach for the Tigers, Mitchell played for the winningest McClain boys basketball coach of all time in Rick VanMatre, was an assistant for his replacement in Eaton and has worked with Wisecup as well.

"I learned a lot from all the coaches I've been around. I played for coach (Dan) Raike and coach VanMatre, and Mr. (Brian) Corey and coach (Tim) Gossett,” Mitchell said. "After college I worked in the private sector for seven years, but during that time I started coming into practices for my own benefit to stay in shape, but I started to get invested into the kids and liked what I was doing.

"I volunteered with the JV team for four years and was a varsity assistant for two years. I also coached eighth grade boys for two years and worked with the girls team for the past two years."

The Ohio University graduate has his own philosophy, citing the game has changed a lot in the past 15 or so years.

"Teams at this level used to run a continuity offense, a motion offense with a lot of passing, but now it is more of a dribble-oriented offense,” Mitchell said.” My philosophy is to see what talent I have and put the kids in the best position to succeed.

"Whether that be in the wings everywhere, to play gaps on the defensive end or press … I'm not going to say we are just going to do this one year and then switch to something else. I want to have a common core and then branch out, depending on what type of players I have that year."

No coaches know everything or learn everything on their own, and entering his inaugural year as the head coach of the McClain basketball program, Mitchell knows he didn't make it to the top level alone.

Mitchell said while at Ohio University, he heard a statement that has stuck with him: “There is always something good or something bad a person does when you are around them,” and you can learn from both. That is how Mitchell has built the way he coaches, by picking up things he likes from those he's been around and learning from them – good and bad.

"Coach VanMatre was very good at being structured with his practice,” Mitchell said. “His system worked like a machine, and everyone from seventh grade on knew what their role was. What they were going to teach, who was scouting when and even the little league camp and how that would be taught. Everything was planned out, and it was successful.

"Coach Raike did one of the best jobs of teaching fundamentals and making the monotony of practice and individual fundamentals fun. I have a lot of respect for both coaches."

Mitchell also talked about the current coaches he worked with and what they taught him as well.

"Coach Eaton knows his x's and o’s, and Coach Wisecup is very smart," Mitchell said. "Coach Haines does a really good job with developing players.

"I'm not going to be arrogant or egotistical … I don't know everything. I'm going to use my resources. I'm going to motivate the kids the way I see fit, and we are going to work on our B's and B's - our ‘Bodies and Basketball Skills.’”

As always, there will be high expectations at McClain, because with the tradition the program has with past success, the goal is always to get back to where they once were.

"I want us to be competitive and the kids to leave every game saying 'we played together and played hard,’” Mitchell said. “We are in a tough league with one of the smaller schools, but we have our leading scorer back.

"We do have to develop guards and improve our guard play. I'm looking forward to the camaraderie with the kids and the coaches. This group is special because I coached these upcoming seniors when they were in eighth grade. We were 10-6 that year, which was the first year I had my own team.

"They are all good kids, and I'm more excited to help mold them on and off the court. I want them to have a good experience at the high school."

All of that comes back to the goal of getting McClain back to the Ohio University Convocation Center … which would be the Division III SE District Semifinals.

"I would love for us to reach the Convo and go to Court Street and get a slice of GoodFella's Pizza. That is our goal … to put the purple and gold of McClain back at the Convo sooner rather than later."

Mitchell thanked his family, including wife Maribeth and their two children, Palmer (2) and Piper (1).

"I'm excited to be a part of this," Mitchell said. "My parents and her parents will be very supportive in helping out with me being away so much, but we are all excited to get started."