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Mitchell enjoys year with Butler

By Lew Gilliland
The Times-Journal

Published June 22, 2009

Terry Mitchell and Jack Doss are long-time high school basketball coaches who got acquainted through coaching clinics, but it was their shared interest in another subject that brought them even closer together.

“We became good friends through real estate,” Mitchell said. “About four years ago we started talking at a rules clinic. He was getting his real estate license. I’ve been dabbling, buying and selling properties, the last 20 years. We’ve ridden all over the place looking at properties. I’m a sucker for his stories, and he’s a sucker for mine.”

And it was Doss who came to the rescue last year when Mitchell was dealing the disappointment of being non-renewed as Plainview varsity boys’ coach.

“I was just in real need in of a friend stepping up, and he just stepped up,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell coached at Plainview from 1973-99 and again from 2004-08. In between, he coached at Fyffe for two seasons.

Mitchell’s career record is 532-300, and his Plainview teams finished second in the Class 2A state tournament in 1978 and ’79

The former Bear boss heard from Doss, the varsity boys’ coach at Butler, shortly after being removed as Plainview coach.

“Coach asked me to come down, and I just went down to watch camp,” Mitchell said. “Coach doesn’t like drawing Xs and Os, and I’m addicted to that. I was going to try to learn coach’s offense and defense and put it on DVD. What we’re trying to do is have this ready by the time coach retires. We’re going to have it ready to sell.”

The project led to Mitchell becoming a volunteer assistant for his friend last season. In the process, Mitchell developed a fondness for the people inside the Butler program and earned a state championship ring when the Rebels claimed the Class 5A state title.

“Butler has given me a chance to be around some really great kids,” Mitchell said. “The principal and superintendent have been super nice. I go to practice when I can. During the season last year I made 52 trips over there. Those kids love basketball.”

The state championship was the sixth of Doss’ 33-year career. He won two at Hayes in Birmingham before moving to Butler.

“A big influence on my life was Bear Bryant,” Doss said. “He said he tried to surrounded himself with people that were smarter than him, and I try to do the same.

“Terry … brought so much knowledge and brought 35 years of winning experience to the table. He enjoys teaching, and our kids knew he was knowledgeable but also sincere and cared about them getting better and as a person.”

Mitchell said when the state championship rings arrived, his was the first Doss pulled out of the box.

“It was really neat when we won the state championship how many of my kids, who played for me, called me. That was just great,” said Mitchell, who still teaches at Plainview. “The kids at Plainview were real nice about it.”

But the state championship wasn’t the most important part of the 2008-09 season for Mitchell.

Instead, it was the relationships he developed and how Doss and the Butler staff and players made him a part of their family. Mitchell praised Butler freshman coach Charlie Steele and junior varsity coach Michael Freeman.

“The ring is great, but even if we hadn’t done it, it would have been worth the time and effort to get to know the kids. That’s been fun,” Mitchell said. “Butler and Butler’s kids are special to me.”

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