Matthew Mitchell is trading out his blue for red, making the move from Lexington to Houston as the head women’s basketball coach of the Cougars. It’s his first gig since stepping away from the game in 2020 — although he did stick around locally to coach grade school hoops the past couple of years. A three-time SEC Coach of the Year with 10 20-plus win seasons and seven 25-plus win seasons while leading the Wildcats to five Sweet 16s and three Elite Eights, he’s the winningest coach in Kentucky history.
Now, he hopes to do the same at Houston, introduced as head coach on April 1.
In an appearance on Friday’s edition of Kentucky Sports Radio, Mitchell said he’s got the same drive to lead the Cougars back to national prominence the way he did when he first took the Kentucky job.
“We had been talking as a family about wanting to get back at it and give it a whirl,” Mitchell told KSR. “This thing in Houston reminds me so much of when we first arrived at Kentucky. It’s a great challenge, it’s a great opportunity they have, it’s a great basketball city.
“They are hungry for some good women’s basketball. We just believe we can have another great run here. God’s really blessed us with a great opportunity, and we feel great support.”
Houston has not been to the NCAA Tournament since 2011 with no second-round appearances since 2004. The Cougars have never been to a Sweet 16 with just one conference tournament championship in ’04 and two regular season titles in ’04 and ’11. They’re not just hungry for success, they’re starving. The 54-year-old with three decades of experience feels he’s the man for the job.
With his transition, though, comes a bittersweet goodbye to the city he calls home. It’s where he raised his family alongside his wife Jenna, bringing three daughters into the world bleeding blue. They actually named one of their girls Presley Blue to show just how much they love this place — and that they Mitchell wasn’t gonna take the Tennessee coaching job in 2013.
“I said, ‘Why don’t we make her middle name blue to let everybody know we’re staying here and this is where we’re gonna be?’” Mitchell said. “That’s how Presley Blue got her middle name and it absolutely signifies how much we love Kentucky. We do and always will.”
Physically changing area codes, though, does not mean anything is changing in the depths of their souls. There, they are Kentucky through and through.
Their hearts are permanently blue and white.
“We’ll never, ever leave Lexington with our hearts,” Mitchell continued. “We have so many friends there, and the Kentucky fans have just treated us unbelievably well and supported us all those years. They still do everywhere I go in town, just have so much love expressed for me. We will always and forever be connected to that community and connected to that city and the university. We’re so grateful for our time there.
“This is just another little detour on life’s path. You never know where it’s going to go, but we are thrilled with this opportunity and excited for the adventure.”
There are things he’ll miss in the meantime as he finds a new home in Texas, trading out the mint juleps for cowboy hats. For starters, The Lexington School and ‘so many relationships’ he built there. That’s also where he got his feet wet again in basketball — “I’m so glad I had an opportunity coaching over there the last two years with some great people who are giving their time to kids, we coach fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth graders,” Mitchell said. “It’s sort of full-circle for me as I started out as a junior high and high school coach.”
Then you have the Lexington staples: horse racing and Caturdays, things he can’t get away from for long.
“I’ll miss Keeneland, I’ll miss going to watch Coach Stoops and the Cats on Saturdays. There are so many things that are unique about Central Kentucky and unique about Lexington. We love it,” he continued. “I don’t know how it would be possible for us to ever fully depart. We’ll be back several times a year — I’m sure every April and October for Keeneland.
“With so many great relationships, we’ll miss that. We’re hoping when people have a chance, they’ll pop down to Houston every now and then. Lots of flights! A lot of flights down to Houston!”
He’s got temporary business to take care of in the Lone Star State. After that, he’ll happily return to his Ole Kentucky Home.
“This is not goodbye, guys. This is just so long, farewell, just for a bit. It’s going to be a lot of fun,” Mitchell told KSR. “… Thanks to all of the Big Blue Nation — I love them and appreciate everything you guys have done. We will be around.”
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