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Jeff Mitchell enters his fourth season as the head men's golf coach at Stanford after previously spending time on the PGA Tour as a professional golfer and as the director of golf at Texas Tech University.
Most recently, Mitchell was inducted into the Texas Tech Hall of Fame in 2000.
Mitchell spent the previous 10 years as the head women's golf coach at Texas Tech, and in 1998, he became the director of golf for both the men's and women's programs. He was named District Coach of the Year in 1993 and `96 and the Southwest Conference Coach of the Year in 1994 and '96.
For nine years (1976-84), Mitchell was on the PGA Tour, playing in an average of 30 tournaments a year. He won the Phoenix Open in 1980 and had a dozen top-10 finishes (35 top-25 finishes) as well as making 111 career cuts. He competed in approximately 200 pro-amateur events and participated in over 100 clinics.
Prior to his coaching career, Mitchell was a member of the graduate faculty at Texas Tech and a teaching assistant, working as an instructor and camp director as well as teaching activity classes in golf, tennis and volleyball. As a professional instructor, Mitchell has given private and group lessons for the past 15 years and has been a junior golf camp director since 1990.
From 1986-87, Mitchell was the head golf professional at Golden Eagle Golf Course in Tallahassee, FL where he was responsible for arranging tee times, tournaments, all shop purchases, teaching, assistant professional training and golf course set-up. Prior to Golden Eagle, he spent a year as the Assistant Professional at Royal Oaks Country Club in Dallas, TX.
His work in the golf industry began over 30 years ago at Llano Golf Course in Texas. Mitchell worked in the pro shop and became familiar with course maintenance for four years before moving to Pine Hills Golf Course in Lubbock where he experienced all of the duties associated with being an assistant pro and maintenance person. He also spent some time on the maintenance crew at Santa Teresa Country Club in El Paso.
A 1989 graduate of Texas Tech, Mitchell earned a degree in physical education and received his teaching certification in 1990. He competed for the Red Raiders' golf team from 1974-76, picking up All Southwest Conference honors as well as being named an honorable mention All-American.
For the last 10 years, Mitchell has been a member of the National Golf Coaches Association, and he's been involved with the Golf Coaches Association of America since 1998. He served as the first vice president for the NGCA from 1997-99, and was the legislative chairman from 1992-2000. A life member of the PGA Tour since 1976, Mitchell is also a member of the PGA of America.
In 1986, Mitchell conducted a marathon of golf, playing with one other professional for a continuous 24-hour period of time. They played 224 holes and received pledges, which they donated to the Ronald McDonald House of Lubbock. He also gave free junior golf clinics during the summers of 1988-89 in numerous places in Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma. He was a Life Skills committee member at Texas Tech for two years, and he was part of the NCAA Sub-committed on Academic Integrity in 1998.
Mitchell and his wife, Christy, have two children (Jeffrey, 23 and Lesley 22).