Jan Mitchell – A Local Track Icon

Jan Mitchell's coaching resume speaks for itself.

In over 35 years of coaching track and field, Mitchell has had over 1,000 athletes earn all-county accolades. He has coached two high school national champions, 40 high school All-Americans, and currently has over 20 alumni competing at Division I schools, the most ever at the same time in his career. Two of Mitchell's former male runners went on to break four minutes for the mile run.

At this point in his career, however, Mitchell isn't really in it for the numbers. He has also become much more than just a coach to his athletes.

Mitchell, a Tarrytown resident, studied at St. John's University in New York, where he ran for four years and was the Red Storm's number one cross-country runner his senior year. That year, Mitchell held the first coaching position of his life, as he was put in charge of St. John's JV team during the track season.

After graduating from St. John's, Mitchell taught and coached for three years at Mater Christi High School in Queens, NY, now known as St. John's Prep, his high school alma mater. From there, Mitchell went to Iona Preparatory School in New Rochelle, NY, where again he was offered a combined teaching and coaching job. He accepted the position, and has taught Social Studies and coached track & field and cross-country at Iona Prep ever since. In 1990, Mitchell started a cross-country program at the Ursuline School, down the street from Iona Prep, where he is now the head coach for both track & field and cross-country, on top of his coaching position at Iona.

Strangely, one of the things Mitchell enjoys most about the sport he coaches is something that often infuriates others in his profession - the lack of student turnout for running sports due to the fact that other sports like football, basketball, soccer, and lacrosse are more popular and attractive.

"I enjoy taking non-athletes, which is what you get for the most part in track, and making them into great athletes," said Mitchell, who himself thought he was going to be a baseball or basketball player in high school. "Sometimes you get an athlete that excelled in something else, and you convince them that they can be better in this. That gives me the biggest pleasure."

Although some of his athletes describe him as somewhat intimidating, one thing that those around Mitchell quickly come to expect on his part, no matter who he is coaching, no matter how fast or slow or anything in between, is an unwavering dedication and a genuine desire to make them better runners and better people.

"He has a true dedication to the kids," said Iona Prep sprints and jumps coach Darin Gillenwater, who ran for Mitchell for four years and has now coached alongside him for 18 years. "At the end of the day he has every athlete's best interest at heart. Every year, as the seniors are getting ready to leave, he always has these little meetings with the juniors, getting them ready for their senior year, and the first thing out of his mouth is 'Give me a list of schools that you're interested in.' That's what I've noticed in the years I've been working with him."

Mitchell, who advocates a low-mileage training plan for his athletes, something he says gives them "more legs" once they make it into the collegiate ranks, also makes it a priority that his athletes compete against the best in the country.

Iona Prep and Ursuline regularly travel to Florida, California, and North Carolina, to compete in such nationally recognized track meets as the Disney Relays and the Arcadia Invitational.

"Mr. Mitchell gave me a high school track experience most kids could only dream of," said Blaise Rewaka, Iona Prep alumni and current scholarship runner at the University of Nebraska. "I always felt that I could be a decent runner, but Coach Mitchell saw potential in me and helped mold me into the runner than I am today. He took me from a nobody as a 13-year-old freshman running 2:20s, to a 1:52 half-miler and a two-time relay All-American. He taught me things that are not only necessary in sports but also helpful in life. What more can a coach do?"

Unfortunately, thirty-five years of coaching and teaching have taken an important toll on Mitchell's health, something he is all too aware of. Twenty-six years after surviving cancer, and continuing to have to deal with serious stress-induced ailments, Mitchell, who is currently teaching five different classes at Iona this year, is enjoying every moment of the tail-end of his coaching career, knowing each one might very well be his last.

"Yea there are days that I don't want to do it, and there are days that I am totally exhausted," said Mitchell, who will be sending two relays to the Nike Outdoor Nationals in North Carolina on June 17th. "I'm worried that I'm never going to know when it's time to walk away from it. That's going to be a real tough decision. And I hope it's a decision that's going to be based on my wanting to walk away from it, not circumstances making me walk away from it."

It goes without saying that when Mitchell does in fact decide to walk away, his replacement will have some very, very big shoes to fill.