Jan Mitchell P'96 GP'25 to retire after 36 years leading Ursuline track and field

After 36 years leading the Cross Country and Track and Field teams at The Ursuline School, Coach Jan Mitchell P'96 GP'25 will retire at the conclusion of the 2025-26 school year, closing a 51-year coaching career that has influenced generations of student-athletes at both the high school and collegiate levels.

Mitchell founded Ursuline's Cross Country and Track and Field program in 1990, establishing a foundation that would define the school's programs for decades. Over more than thirty years, he coached thousands of young women and shaped a program rooted in discipline, resilience, and teamwork.

Before and during his tenure at Ursuline, Mitchell also coached at Iona Preparatory School, contributing to a five-decade career in track and field. His experience across institutions informed a coaching philosophy centered on long-term development, accountability, and personal growth.

"When I founded Ursuline's program in 1990, I knew absolutely nothing about coaching girls," Mitchell wrote in a letter announcing his retirement. "I could never have imagined how deeply this sport, and the young women involved in it, would shape my life."

"I could never have imagined how deeply this sport, and the young women involved in it, would shape my life."
- Jan Mitchell P'96 GP '25, founding coach, Cross Country and Track & Field program

Under his leadership, Ursuline teams competed in cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track, earning league titles, championship appearances, and individual honors. In 2014, he was inducted into The Ursuline School's Athletics Hall of Fame, a distinctive honor recognizing his leadership and lasting impact on the program.

Throughout his career, Mitchell consistently emphasized lessons that extended beyond competition.

"Coach Mitchell built Ursuline's program from the ground up and sustained it with a consistent approach that both challenges and supports our girls," said Dawn Cerrone, Ursuline's athletic director. "He has been an iconic leader of our cross country and track and field programs, with a visionary understanding of the value these opportunities bring to our student-athletes. His long career reflects not only his deep dedication to the sport, but also the tremendous respect he commands. For the thousands of girls who have participated in his programs, regardless of their starting point, he has inspired each of them to grow beyond what they ever imagined possible," Cerrone added.

"For the thousands of girls who have participated in his programs, regardless of their starting point, he has inspired each of them to grow beyond what they ever imagined possible."
- Dawn Cerrone, athletic director

"Coaching has never been just about times, distances or medals," Mitchell wrote. "It has been about teaching discipline, resilience, and teamwork, values that extend well beyond the track."

His connection to Ursuline is also personal. He coached his daughter, Lara '96, and later his granddaughter, Lily '25, a rare multigenerational experience that reflects the enduring relationships formed within the program. Over the years, he remained closely connected to alumnae and, in some cases, coached the children of former athletes.

Mitchell expressed gratitude to the assistant coaches, athletic directors, administrators, and families who supported the program's growth over the years. He also reflected on his 1990 meeting with Sister Jean Baptiste Nicholson, OSU, who was the principal of The Ursuline School at the time and entrusted him with launching the Cross Country and Track programs. That conversation marked the beginning of a legacy that would shape thousands of young women over the next three decades. 

"I will always be proud of the program we built and the thousands of young women who wore The Ursuline School uniform with pride," he wrote. "Thank you for allowing me the honor of serving as a coach for 36 remarkable years."As Mitchell marks his final season at Ursuline, the school community honors a coach whose legacy reaches far beyond records and finish lines. It is measured in the discipline he required, the confidence he built, and the young women who carry those lessons with them long after their final race.