Lamar University Athletics

Charinee Mitchell returns to the Lamar University women's basketball program to be the associate head coach after spending the last few seasons as the coordinator of academics and compliance services.

Having previously worked with head coach Aqua Franklin since the 2019-20 season, Mitchell has coached all-conference players in Akasha Davis, Sabria Dean, and Jayden Pimental. The 2021-22 season saw LU win 14 games while in their first and only season in the Western Athletic Conference. They reached the conference tournament and were able win their first round matchup with New Mexico State. The first two seasons of Mitchell's time on the sidelines saw LU win 20 games combined and made a Southland Conference tournament appearance.

She came to Lamar after spending two seasons as the head coach at Garden City Community College in Garden City, Kansas. She led the Broncobusters to a 34-29 mark over the two seasons.

Over her two years at Garden City CC, Mitchell guided six to the All-Jayhawk honors. Not only did the Broncbusters achieve success on the court but also off the court as she had a graduation rate of 89 percent (24/27).  Over her five years as a head coach, Mitchell has helped 16 student-athletes receive scholarships to play basketball at Division I, Division II, Division III, and NAIA programs.
 
Prior to going to Garden City CC, Mitchell spent four years at Cisco College in Texas. She guided the Wranglers to four straight double-digit win seasons including a 15-victory campaign her second year on the job. Academically, she prides herself on leading a successful graduating program of sophomores every single year.  Over the four years as head coach at Cisco College she’s obtained a current graduation rate of 18/21 sustaining at 86%. All 18 of those student-athletes continued to attend four-year universities.
 
In one year in Mississippi; Mitchell helped head coach Brent Harris (former assistant coach of her Southeastern La. playing days) guide the Lady Bears to a third-place finish in conference and a state tournament berth.
 
In Odessa, Mitchell helped the Lady Wranglers to a 22-9 record as they finished 2nd in the Western Junior College Athletic Conference and made an appearance in the Region 5 finals. She also helped coach four All-Conference players, one All-Region selection and four players who signed with a four-year institution.

A 2007 graduate of Paris Junior College (Paris, Texas), Mitchell was an All-Region XIV player for the Lady Dragons as well as an All-Academic honoree for the region.

Mitchell spent 2007-09 as a member of the Southeastern Louisiana University basketball squad. After a strong junior year at SLU, she started 29 of 30 games she appeared in as a senior and finished the year averaging 8.2 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. She hit a team-high 54 three-pointers to help the Lady Lions set a Southland Conference single-season record with 220.

Mitchell was an All-Southland Conference and All-Louisiana honoree at the end of the 2008-09 campaign, an All-Conference Honorable Mention for 2007-08 and received Conference All-Academic honors for both years. She graduated in 2009 with a B.S. degree in General Studies with a concentration in Applied Behavioral Sciences.

Mitchell remained at SLU for the next two years, serving as a graduate assistant coach and director of basketball operations. In 2011, she was awarded a Master of Arts degree in Kinesiology and Health Studies with a concentration in Sports Management.