Sam Mitchell

From Hoopedia

During Sam Mitchell’s 13-year NBA career he was held in high regard around the league as a student of the game. When he finally hung up his sneakers in 2002, he went from student to teacher in his new role as an NBA coach. Following two seasons as an assistant coach, Mitchell was named the sixth head coach in franchise history June 29, 2004.

Although the Raptors finished 33-49 in Mitchell’s first season, the campaign under his direction was highlighted by the implementation of a more up-tempo style of play that saw the team’s points per game average increase by 14.3 over the previous season, the third-highest jump in NBA history. He and his staff also oversaw the maturation of second-year forward Chris Bosh into a potential all-star.

In May of 2004, Mitchell was named the lead assistant coach of the expansion Charlotte Bobcats. He assisted them in player workouts and draft preparation during his brief stay. He spent the prior two seasons on the Milwaukee Bucks’ bench, first assisting George Karl and then Terry Porter. The Bucks qualified for postseason play the past two years with Mitchell as an assistant, running his personal playoff streak as a player and coach to eight consecutive seasons...More