THIS STORY WAS REPRINTED FROM THE RICHMOND TIMES DISPATCH on Friday, Dec. 13, 2013
Ron "Fang" Mitchell worked in an aluminum factory, washed dishes at a nightclub, stocked shelves, trained shoe salesmen, ran a printing company and was the proprietor of Mr. Fang's Athletic Attire.
"Whatever means possible," said Mitchell.
And then, another career shift, to hoops.
Of 345 Division I coaches, Mitchell's résumé rates among the most unusual. But these days, his school's ambitious scheduling attracts more attention than his catchy nickname or eclectic work history.
Coppin State, where Mitchell has been the head coach for 27 years, plays at the University of Richmond (7-3) on Saturday. It's just another visit to a quality opponent for a program that schedules as if accepting dares.
Already this season, the Eagles (4-4) of Baltimore have been guests at California, Oregon State, Michigan and Gonzaga. That's a fairly typical list of annual out-of-league trips for Coppin State, which belongs to the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. During the past five years, the Eagles have played at Kentucky, Kansas, Syracuse, Missouri, Texas, Indiana, Iowa, Connecticut, Oklahoma, Purdue, and Oklahoma State, among others.
"It started where I would set up games where we would try to find the best competition that would allow us to become a better team, to understand what our faults are, to work on what was good. And work on, also, what was bad," said Mitchell.
"What has happened, though, is I'm forced to schedule more games (against elite competition) than what I used to, because of the economic situation here at Coppin State. We are over-scheduling right now. There's nothing I can do about that. If that's the orders that they give me, I go on and do it."
Coppin State and other Division I programs earn guarantees for playing top-level competition on the road, without the top-level competition returning games.
Mitchell, 65, grew up in Camden, N.J., and because of financial circumstances, went to work rather than college upon graduation from high school. By then, he already acquired the nickname "Fang." His deep voice reminded a friend of "White Fang," a character on The Soupy Sales Show that was popular during the 1960s. Mitchell said it's been many years since anyone called him "Ron."
Eventually, Mitchell matriculated at Gloucester (N.J.) County College, and played basketball there. He went back to work, in various capacities, following his time at the school, and in 1978 became the Roadrunners' head coach.
"I'm proud of the fact that I had to work hard in order to reach some level of success," Mitchell said. "I can be an example for people that even if you're born into a situation that's not conducive for success, you still can come out of it and do well."
Mitchell has directed Coppin to four NCAA tournament appearances. The Spiders and Eagles share an accomplishment. In 1991, Richmond became the first No. 15 seed to knock off a No. 2 seed, Syracuse. In the 1997 tournament, Mitchell and No. 15 seed Coppin eliminated No. 2 South Carolina.
"I really admire him and his longevity, and being able to be a coach at this level for so long," UR coach Chris Mooney, a Philadelphia native, said of Mitchell. "I know (Coppin) recruited Philadelphia heavily over the years, and I remember guys I grew up playing with who went to Coppin, had great experiences, and really love Fang." joconnor@timesdispatch.com
