Player Bio: Hajile Mitchell - Kentucky Wildcats Official Athletic Site

Women's Gymnastics

Hajile Mitchell

	Position: Head Coach
	Experience: Seventh year

Head coach Hajile "Mo" Mitchell has become a leader in landmarks for the Kentucky gymnastics team. Seven years have passed since Mitchell acquired the Wildcat team, which he has established as a program that can compete on the national scene and in the demanding Southeastern Conference. In 2009 and 2008 Mitchell's Cats smashed multiple school records throughout the season and put several team and individual scores in the UK record books. The Wildcats have also broken three Regional Qualifying Score (RQS) records and earned Kentucky's longest winning streak of eight meets in the past two years.

Last season the Blue and White finished in the top 30 of the GymInfo polls for the fourth consecutive year under Mitchell. Kentucky ended the season top-25 on all four events which includes Mitchell's vault squad who ranked top-15 all year, peaking at No. 7. With such a high performance team, Mitchell was able to add 10 top-10 scores to his resume. Two of those scores ranked top-three in Kentucky history.

Not only has Mitchell created a winning program, but he has established an exciting brand of gymnastics for fans to watch. Kentucky has made five uninterrupted NCAA Regional appearances and ranked in the nation's top-15 in attendance in each of his six seasons guiding the Cats, including top-10 attendance rankings in four of those seasons.

Off the mat, nine of Mitchell's student-athletes were named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll, including two SEC Freshman Academic Honor Roll distinctions.

In 2006, Mitchell directed UK to its first winning season in 13 years and just the second in the program's history. During the year, the Wildcats posted two of the top-four team totals in school annals. Three of the top four overall have come in the past three seasons as Kentucky has continued to ascend to national prominence. The Wildcats also scored one of the biggest wins in school history when they knocked off ninth-ranked Auburn. Along with the success came a second consecutive NCAA Regional appearance, at which UK finished fourth and NCAA Central Region Coach of the Year honors for Mitchell. The 2005 campaign was another building block in Kentucky's step-up into national prominence. The year saw the Cats enjoy their highest win total in over a decade, an NCAA Regional appearance and a top national ranking of No. 10.

Outside of the gym, Mitchell's gymnasts continued to perform at a high level in the classroom, earning a 3.39 team GPA. Of the team's 16 gymnasts on the roster, 13 earned a GPA of 3.0 or higher, including seven above a 3.5. Throughout his coaching career, Mitchell has been determined to guide his gymnasts to their top performing level. He coached numerous state, regional and national team and individual champions. Two athletes under his coaching direction won the prestigious McDonald's Cup award.

"Coaching at different levels gives me the opportunity to see gymnasts' careers progress," Mitchell said. "It's wonderful to see the determination and growth of your athletes pay off for them."

Mitchell not only pushes his athletes to excel in the gym, but in the classroom and social settings as well.

"I love college, especially the academic part of it," Mitchell said. "I'm in a perfect world because I love academia and I love working with athletes and helping them reach their full potential. I couldn't ask for anything better."

A native of Chicago, Mitchell attended the University of Houston and graduated in 1995 with a bachelor's degree in Engineering Technology-Piping and Design. As an assistant under legendary coach Leah Little, he made a name for himself as a phenomenal coach and recruiter. He was twice named NCAA Regional Assistant Coach of the Year (1999 & 2002). Mitchell, who has 25 years of coaching experience, started coaching at Lansing (Mich.) Eastern High School, when he was a sophomore in college.

After a year as an assistant coach, Mitchell was promoted to head coach and took the team to its first conference championship. His next assignment was at a private club, the Capital City Kips, in Lansing. He coached there for two years until moving to Texas to work briefly with the highly regarded Bela Karolyi.

"It was pretty intense and eye-opening," Mitchell said of his experience with the former Olympic coach. "It's an experience I don't regret because I learned a lot, but it wasn't the route I wanted to take as far as how I wanted to train athletes."

Mitchell then spent eight years coaching at Gizi Gymnastics in Houston before joining Little's staff in 1997. He had become acquainted with Coach Little several years before and helped her with summer gymnastics camps in the Bluegrass. Under Little's tutelage, Mitchell refined his skills and learned valuable lessons about coaching at the collegiate level.

"I was pretty good at dealing with upper-level gymnasts (at the club level) before coming here, and that's what made my transition a lot easier." Mitchell said. "But, I also learned that you really have to be willing to listen, and it's not just about gymnastics. You have to be a role model, counselor, and tutor among other personas to be successful."

Mitchell is married to Lynn Mitchell of Cincinnati, Ohio. The couple has one son, Xavier Alexander Mitchell. The family resides in Richmond, Ky.