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Troy Mitchell (Henderson State University) – 25-Year Award
by Paul Smith, Arkansas Tech University Associate Athletic Director/CoSIDA Board of Directors Member
Mitchell and his wife, the former Veronica Goodwin, on their wedding day.
I will never forget the first time I met
Troy Mitchell.
On January 5, 2004, I was on my first day at my new job as the sports information director at Delta State University. In addition to all of the tasks that fall your way on the first day of a new job, I had to get ready for a Gulf South Conference basketball doubleheader that night – my Statesmen and Lady Statesmen were hosting Henderson State that evening in a Gulf South Conference basketball doubleheader, and I had to prepare for that as well.
From an operational standpoint, I can’t remember a lot about what went right that day; the things that went wrong I remember far better. But the one thing I remember more than anything else was the patience, the understanding, and the kindness that the visiting SID showed me on a night where very little went right.
I knew right then I had made a great friend in Troy Mitchell.
His path to the sports information profession started back during his time as a student at John Glenn High School in New Concord, Ohio. A four-sport athlete during his high school years, he also served as his high school newspaper’s lone sports writer in a section that was also published in the community newspaper.
Troy made his way to Ohio University in the fall of 1985, and joined the staff of Glenn Coble as a volunteer, serving as the primary media contact for the Bobcats’ baseball team while working with wrestling and volleyball, and assisting with football and basketball contests.
“That’s where I started to figure out what I wanted to do with my life,” said Mitchell. “That’s where I fell in love with it.”
After graduation, he headed south to become a graduate assistant at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana, working with Doug Ireland.
“(Doug) is a mentor,” said Mitchell. “I owe him everything. He saw what I could do, and he gave me free reign to use my ideas and imagination. He was encouraging and supportive, and I learned so much from him.”
Troy’s career path continued on a southward trajectory in the fall of 1991, when he joined the staff of Tulane, headed by Lenny Vangilder. His time at Tulane served as an eye-opener.
“I had the opportunity to travel to so many different places and experience things traveling with our baseball team,” said Mitchell. “Being in a big city was really neat.”
After two years, Troy headed north to Northeastern Louisiana University (now known as the University of Louisiana at Monroe), and he would make Monroe his home for the next ten years.
“When I got there, people called our baseball stadium ‘The Big Empty,’” said Mitchell. “I got to work with (then-baseball coach) Smoke Laval, and two years in we’re playing in a NCAA regional.”
In 2002, then-Henderson State athletic director Sam Goodwin (who was the head football coach at Northwestern State during Mitchell’s time there) recruited Troy for the vacant sports information director position.
“The timing just wasn’t right,” said Mitchell.
The next year, the position re-opened and once again, Goodwin came calling. This time, the timing was right, and Troy became the Henderson State’s SID in 2003.
The move from a Division I office to a Division II office was not a difficult adjustment for Troy, who found the quality of life he sought in his new position.
“The grass isn’t always greener on the other side,” said Mitchell. “You have to be happy. I have family time. We do have to work a lot during the school year, but I definitely have more time.”
Through changes in the administration during his time at Henderson State, and in the profession in general, Troy has been a consistent presence as one of the longest-tenured athletic department staffers.
“(The administrators) know you do a lot of work,” said Mitchell. “The job has changed, but I have been very fortunate to work with some of the administrators I’ve worked for – particularly the one I work for now.”
The time spent on the job can be demanding, but Troy has always felt that the rewards far outweigh the drawbacks.
“The most fun thing about this is meeting these student-athletes. You see them graduate, and you get choked up. You know them. You want to see them succeed.”
His time at Henderson State has afforded him the opportunity to see many of his student-athletes’ experience come full-circle, as several of the student-athletes have returned to be inducted into Henderson State’s Hall of Honor.
“I love the relationships with the kids and the alumni, and that has been so rewarding. We have created excitement here,” Mitchell noted.
He has had ample opportunity to promote outstanding teams and student-athletes. His first year, the Lady Reddies basketball team made an improbable run to the Final Four. More recently, the Reddies football team established itself as a national powerhouse, with quarterback Kevin Rodgers being a three-time finalist for the Harlon Hill Award.
“They keep me going,” said Mitchell, “that’s for sure. It’s fun to watch these kids excel. They don’t take their opportunity for granted.”
Troy’s time at Henderson State has allowed him to mentor several graduate assistants who have gone on to work in the industry. Hunter Lively remains at Henderson State as the Director of Athletics Marketing and External Affairs, Daniel Gallegos is the Assistant Director of Athletics for Communications at Southern Arkansas University, Brian Ramsey spent several years at the University of Arkansas at Monticello, most recently as an Associate AD, while his first graduate assistant, Brandy (Sweeden) Dixon, spent time as the assistant SID at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
The secret to Troy’s success as a mentor, says Dixon, is the trust he has in his assistants and his willingness to allow them the freedom to grow in their role. “Troy always made me feel (like I was) more than just a graduate student,” said Dixon. “He made me feel like his equal. Being a female trying to make it in a man’s world, I could not have asked for a better boss and person to learn from and create those memories with.”
While Dixon has left the sports information field, the lessons she learned during her time working alongside Troy continue to serve her. “His leadership, creativity, and dedication are things that I try to emulate today in my career. He took a graduate student wanting to be an SID into an SID. The trust and confidence he had for me is what I hope to impart on future employees of mine.”
Dixon, along with countless other Henderson State alumni proudly and affectionately refer to their alma mater as “The School with a Heart.” About her mentor, Dixon shared a sentiment that anybody who knows Troy Mitchell will share: “Nobody has a bigger heart for Henderson than Troy.”