UCSB’s women’s basketball coach Carlene Mitchell (Presidio Sports Photo)
SANTA BARBARA – Carlene Mitchell will not return as head coach of the UC Santa Barbara women’s basketball program, Director of Athletics John McCutcheon announced Wednesday.
Mitchell, a former top assistant at Rutgers, had one year left on the contract she signed when hired in 2011.
A search for her successor will begin immediately.
Mitchell produced a record of 43-82 overall and 24-42 in Big West Conference play during her four seasons in charge of the program. The Gauchos were 2-27 with a last place conference finish this past season.
Mitchell became the fifth head coach in the history of the program in 2011, and in what proved to be her best season at UCSB, the team posted a 17-16 mark and advanced to the first round of the NCAA Tournament after claiming the Big West Tournament title.
Historically UCSB has been among the nation’s best mid-major women’s basketball programs with 14 Big West Conference Championships and 14 trips to the NCAA Tournament since 1992.
MITCHELL YEAR-BY-YEAR AT UCSB
2011-12: 17-16, 8-8 Big West (NCAA First Round)
2012-13: 16-17, 11-7 (WNIT First Round)
2013-14: 8-22, 3-13
2014-15: 2-27, 2-14
TOTALS: 43-82 Overall, 24-42 Big West Conference
