Mo Mitchell
	Position: Head Coach Experience: Sixth year

Entering his sixth season as the head coach of the Kentucky gymnastics program, Mo Mitchell has quickly established a program that is regularly in competition on the national scene and in the always rigorous Southeastern Conference.

Mitchell's teams have been ranked in the GymInfo Top 25 polls for the third consecutive season as the Cats concluded the year ranked 21st in 2008.

Not only has Mitchell created a winning program, but he has established an exciting brand of gymnastics for fans to watch. Kentucky has ranked in the nation's top 12 in attendance in each of his five seasons at the helm, including top-10 attendance rankings in four of those seasons. Last year, the Wildcats finished 10th in the country in attendance averaging 2,421 fans per home meet.

The 2008 season saw Mitchell's squad ranked in the top 25 for half of the season, including a 10 spot leap to No. 23. Kentucky closed out `08 with a Regional Qualifying Score of 195.395, breaking the school record. The Cats went over the 194.000 mark 10 times during the course of the season. UK ranked 15th nationally on the vault and beam and 11th on the floor exercise. The Wildcats made their fourth consecutive NCAA Central Regional appearance.

Away from the gym, nine of Mitchell's student-athletes were named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll in 2008.

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 26 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. Formerly named Mo Muhammad, he took on her last name. The couple resides in Lexington.