I didn’t see this coming. I hate to hear such a young man is retiring from the career I know he loves, but he’s obviously got a strong support system and that’s gotta give him much comfort.
I’m thrilled for Kyra to get this opportunity, and I can’t wait to see how she uses the outstanding roster she’s been handed. It’s rare that a new head coach gets to take over a program that’s doing extremely well like UK has under Mitchell, so she knows she isn’t going to get the normal level of patience that coaches normally receive in their first year as head coach. The pressure will be on to improve on last year’s performance, not stay the same or — God forbid — go backward.
Good luck, Kyra! But more importantly, all the best vibes to Matthew Mitchell and his family.