Matthew Mitchell reportedly back in the mix for an SEC head coaching job

Matthew Mitchell has been away from coaching for the last several years, but he could be on the verge of making a return to the hardwood.

According to SBNation’s Mitchell Northam, Mitchell, who was the head coach of the Kentucky women’s basketball program from 2007-20, “wants to get back on the sidelines and is a real candidate this coaching cycle.” Northam says some believe Houston is the frontrunner to hire Mitchell, but adds there are SEC teams with job openings Mitchell will also consider.

During his head coaching run at UK, Mitchell led the Wildcats to a 281-125 overall record (119-69 SEC) with nine NCAA Tournament appearances, including three Elite 8 berths across a four-year span. He was named the SEC’s Coach of the Year in 2010 and 2012.

Per multiple sources, former Kentucky coach Matthew Mitchell wants to get back on the sidelines and is a real candidate this coaching cycle. Some consider him to be the front-runner at Houston, but he has an eye on SEC openings too. 9 NCAAT appearances, 69.5 win %. #ncaaW

— Mitchell Northam (@primetimeMitch) March 21, 2025

Mitchell officially retired from coaching on November 12, 2020, an unexpected announcement less than two weeks before Kentucky’s 2020-21 season was set to begin. A medical incident that offseason led to brain surgery, which he said in a press release changed his priorities in life and made him want to spend more time with his family. Assistant coach Kyra Elzy was made Kentucky’s interim coach as Mitchell’s replacement and was later hired full-time before ultimately being fired in March 2024.

But even after his retirement, Mitchell has never been far from basketball. At 54 years old, there is plenty left in the tank. Houston would be an interesting landing spot for him, as the program has not made the NCAA Tournament since 2011, but should have more resources to build a contender as a member of the Big 12. A possible return to the SEC and the familiarity it would bring will obviously be enticing though. Auburn and Arkansas currently have open head coaching jobs.

Will there be a school out there willing to take a chance on Mitchell? He has a proven track record as a high-level winner, but this is not the same college basketball landscape he left nearly five years ago. NIL and the transfer portal have changed the way coaches approach roster-building. But Mitchell will be one of the better available options out there if he is truly serious about a return to coaching.