Hope College: Coach Greg Mitchell Q&A
Coach Greg Mitchell of Hope College located in the great city of Holland is very familiar with both the high school and collegiate level. Coach Mitchell will be entering his 6th season at Hope (Division 3), and also has 25…
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Continue ReadingCoach Greg Mitchell of Hope College located in the great city of Holland is very familiar with both the high school and collegiate level. Coach Mitchell will be entering his 6th season at Hope (Division 3), and also has 25 years of varsity head coaching experience at Laingsburg High School. Coach Mitchell offers great information on a variety of topics, including some insight on seasonal and day to day operations for both a student athlete and a coach. Coach also has a message for those aspiring to play basketball at the collegiate level.
What do you love most about coaching the game of basketball?
Coach Mitchell: I thrive on the competition that the game offers. I’ve always appreciated the process of building strong relationships with players and molding a group of players into a team that aspires to reach its potential. The game offers countless life-learning situations for players and for me as a coach, I feel as if the game is constantly challenging me to be a better coach and it obviously teaches us all that we are only going to find success if we focus on the others first and not ourselves.
What does a typical schedule look like for the student athlete during season and off season?
Coach Mitchell: In season: Players have 14-16 hours of class per week and additional study sessions on top of that, we don’t have mandatory study table time, our players are typically very strong students who do a great job budgeting their time and prioritize to get their work done. Practice between 3:15-6:00, lift after practice on 2 of those days, individual skill work & film sessions during the weekdays as class time allows. We will also watch film during the week as a team, typically the day before a game. Non-conference games are often on weekends (fri-sat tourneys) and conference games are Wednesday/Saturdays in Jan-Feb.
Out of season: Our players take a pre-season conditioning class that meets 3x a week and then they organize open gyms and play together 3x a week, and then they will find time to complete independent workouts on their own or with teammates as their time allows. Open gyms and workouts continue after the season until the second semester ends and then for players who can, our guys play in a spring and summer league in Grand Rapids.
What stands out to you the most about incoming freshmen adjusting to the collegiate level both off and on the basketball court?
Coach Greg Mitchell: It is a challenge that we make sure we help them navigate the initial weeks of their first semester. It’s vital that we connect them with our veteran players to assist them with all of their academic commitments and get them off to a strong start. It will pave the way for our players to establish a business-like approach to their responsibilities and help them prioritize their time. Handling this new-found freedom and time is critical and can be a difference-maker how their college experience will go. Regarding basketball specifically, with our minimal contact allowed, we again need outstanding leadership out of our experienced players and captains to embrace their roles and help speed up the learning curve so we are not starting from square one once October 15th arrives. Our strength coach is a tremendous asset for us and we rely on him as an extension of our staff. Thankfully we have pretty high-achieving men who come from great families who have provided a solid foundation of support. It’s key to recruit players who we know can find success at our level and institution and to have organized support in place so the transition is smooth. Hope has incredible built-in systems that make this possible.
What do you look for when recruiting athletes?
Coach Mitchell: Obviously, are they skilled enough to help us compete at an elite level. Immediately along with that, do they have the academic standing to get into Hope and succeed at Hope. Closely behind that would be are they coachable men who thrive on being coached and getting better. I want to especially see how hard they compete and handle adversity when it hits. We put a premium on players who genuinely put the team first and who have a background and desire of winning.
How do you find out about most of the athletes you recruit? What can athletes do from their end to get on a radar screen?
Coach Greg Mitchell: Like most coaches, we grind through the recruiting process by attending and evaluating players through high school games, open gyms, shootouts, summer and fall leagues as well as AAU events. We also rely on connections we have built with high school and AAU coaches who off us suggestions. In addition, we receive tips from alums & friends of the program and we also have athletes who initiate contact with us themselves as well who we then may evaluate to determine if we’ll follow-up. It’s not hard for us to find out about athletes as most are competing in AAU tournaments or being evaluated by recruiting services which we find very helpful. Like some colleges, we host an Elite Camp annually in August which is a great opportunity for us to have potential recruits spend time with us on campus.
If athletes are looking to be recruited, playing AAU obviously helps, but if not, we have great respect for suggestions that high school coaches share with us too. They can also reach out to us directly, share film and express interest and we’ll evaluate them. Personally, I think some athletes and their families waste time and money feeling they have to put themselves out there as much as they do (adding in Showcases for example on top of everything else they’re doing). Talent will be found that’s for sure, especially in this day and age.
What would you say to players on the prep level who want to play basketball on any collegiate level?
Don’t ever underestimate how hard it is to make it collegiately, regardless of the level! It’s incredibly competitive and the jump from high school to college is significant. The physical, mental and time demands are extensive and not everyone has the built-in desire to make it. The supply/demand numbers don’t favor those ‘wanting’ to play college basketball. Those who possess the skill set AND the relentless drive to improve while understanding that they will be putting the team first and their personal agendas second will have a chance to succeed. Outworking others has to be a constant mindset just to allow one to have a fighting chance to make it…and it continues as long as they’re fortunate enough to be a member of a college team!
I think it vital for players to be realistic with where they will potentially fit in and should consider a college that is the best fit for them on all levels, not just athletically, but obviously academically, socially, spiritually etc.. Lastly, playing college basketball is a great privilege and not something gained through entitlement. So many don’t make it because they don’t understand that reality.
From a coaching standpoint what does your days look like both in season and out of season? When do you find time to scout/recruit?
Coach Mitchell: That’s a loaded question and I’d likely bore you with a true and detailed response. I will just say the days for me are full and busy. In season: daily film analysis of our team/opponents, practice planning, individual workouts, hosting recruit visits, coaching meetings, meetings with my AD, player meetings… attend Chapel and try to get in a workout of my own…too many things to list. On top of my coaching duties, I teach 2 classes a semester as well. I enjoy the grind but sometimes it’s feels like organized chaos! What I try not to ever lose sight of though, which I feel is the most important part of the coaching job, is relationship building. If I’m not genuinely connecting on a daily basis with my staff and players, my time has been wasted.
Out of season, the days are not as full for obvious reasons, which allows time to ramp up our recruiting efforts. I’m able to spend more time with my family, which I cherish, but I’m also reviewing the season and analyzing what we need to do to get better. I like to connect with other coaches and see what I can learn from them to help our progress. I will say this, whether in-season or out, the team/my players, never leave my mind. It’s a constant… I think that’s how coaches are wired. We care so much about teams and players and always want to seek improvement!
In general, recruiting NEVER stops in all honesty, in-season nor out. If we are not at events or games we are connecting with recruits consistently via texting, calling or emailing.
As far as ‘when do we find time to scout/recruit’? I would respond that we have to MAKE time to scout and recruit, especially during the season. When scouting, sleep gets sacrificed quite often because time is limited and we want to be as prepared as possible for our opponents.