By Ryan McCollough

The Messenger

 

Johnny Mitchell has been in the coaching world for over 20 years and has seen it all. But he admits he was “taken back a little” when he received word of his latest honor.

Mitchell was named the 2A Assistant Coach of the Year by the Alabama High School Athletic Association, and will be honored at a banquet in January.

“It means a lot,” Mitchell said. “To know my peers think this highly of me is a wonderful think for me personally.”

Mitchell served as Goshen’s offensive coordinator this past season, after being the Eagles defensive coordinator in 2012.

To be considered for the award, a coach must be nominated by their head coach. Goshen head coach Bart Snyder said the decision to nominate Mitchell was a no brainer.

“Coach Mitchell is a great football and basketball coach, but he is even a better person and member of our community,” said Snyder. “He is very involved in our recreation baseball league and takes care of all the basketball. He goes out of his way all the time to make sure the kids are taken care of. Goshen is lucky to have a guy like him.”

Goshen went 5-6 in 2013, and Mitchell admits he would have loved to have a couple of more wins. But he also said at the end of the day, winning games is only part of the battle.

“We were beat up a lot with injuries, ”Mitchell said. “We would of loved to have won more and shown what we could do, but we are also in the job of making boys in to young men. These guys learn things out here they can’t learn anywhere else. I am happy to have been a small part in their life, and I know they will go on to do great things.

Mitchell is a Brantley native and is married to Carrie Jackson Mitchell, and the couple has four children, Chandler, Reid, Jackson and Eli.