UMass Boston

Michael H. Mitchell's name can't be found in the UMass Bostonrecord book, but the players who are there might just owe theirsuccess to him. A schoolboy legend, he was a founding member of thefirst Boston Shootout team in 1972 and went to Livingstone Collegeon a basketball scholarship, but transferred to the Harbor Campusto become the Beacons' first-ever recruited basketball player. Heplayed for UMass Boston's club team for four years, earning teamMost Valuable Player accolades as a junior and senior afteraveraging 18.5 and 19.4 points, respectively, to lead UMB to acombined 42-6 mark. The point guard led the Beacons to a 60-22 markin his tenure, defeating a number of Division III varsity programsand the Harvard University junior varsity squad as well. Heaveraged 17.5 points, 7.1 assists and three steals per game overhis career, while making 85% of his free throw tries as theposterboy for a successful club program, which was a major factorin the school's decision to add varsity athletic programs to thecurriculum. The two-year captain's outstanding game wasn't lost onpro scouts as evidenced when the Boston Celtics signed him as afree agent and invited him to the team's annual rookie camp. Hereturned to UMass Boston as an assistant basketball coach in1981-82 and helped recruit the players that would give theuniversity its first NCAA tournament berth in 1982-83. Followinghis time at UMass Boston, Mitchell went on play a huge role inyouth basketball in Boston as the METCO Coordinator at WaylandMiddle School and as a coach at Wayland High School and in theBNBL. He has coached at the Roxbury Boys and Girls Club for thepast 20 years and is the former Executive Director of the RoxburyBoys and Girls Club, where he is currently an advisor. Mitchell iscurrently the Executive Director of Youth Opportunity Boston, acomprehensive career development program for the City ofBoston.