Mitchell out at Coppin State after 28 years

Mar 28, 2014 - 11:42 PM Baltimore, MD (SportsNetwork.com) - Coppin State will not renew the contract of longtime head men's basketball coach Ron "Fang" Mitchell.

The university said Friday is has "decided to move in a different direction," ending Mitchell's 28-year run as head coach of the program he led to four NCAA Tournaments and two NITs.

"We thank coach Mitchell for the time and service he dedicated to Coppin State," athletic director Derrick Ramsey said in a statement.

Mitchell, hired before the 1986-87 season, led the Eagles to a 429-417 record, including a 12-20 mark this past season.

The Eagles upset second-seeded Hampton in the quarterfinals of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament on March 12. They lost to Morgan State in the semis.

Coppin State earned a share of 10 MEAC regular-season titles under Mitchell and upset South Carolina as a No. 15 seed in the first round of the 1997 NCAA Tournament.

The Eagles also reached the tournament in 1990, 1993 and 2008 and had 11 straight winning seasons under Mitchell between 1988-89 and 1998-99.