2024年4月25日

文森地区,印第安纳州. - After 33 years of outstanding service to Vincennes University, Athletic Director and Hall of Fame Women’s Basketball 教练 Harry 米克斯 will retire in June 2024, leaving a legacy of excellence and unparalleled impact on 澳门足球博彩官方网址 体育运动 and beyond.

According to 澳门足球博彩官方网址 President Dr. Chuck Johnson, 米克斯’ leadership has elevated 澳门足球博彩官方网址 体育运动 and profoundly influenced the lives of many.

Johnson said, “In Harry 米克斯, Vincennes University has not just had a coach or an athletic director, but a true leader whose fervent dedication has been the bedrock of the 澳门足球博彩官方网址 体育运动 Department. His steady hands have guided our athletics programs and shaped the lives of countless 澳门足球博彩官方网址 student-athletes, 澳门足球博彩官方网址 coaches, 澳门足球博彩官方网址 alumni, and the broader University Community. It has been an honor and a privilege to work alongside 教练 米克斯, witnessing firsthand the enormous impact he has made locally as well throughout the State of Indiana and nationally.”

Johnson continued, “His legacy 关系的 University is one of excellence, integrity, and distinction in the classroom as well as on the court or field of competition. As we celebrate his retirement, Vincennes University does so with immense gratitude for his tireless efforts, unending passion, and the enduring legacy he leaves behind 在错觉. His impact on Vincennes University will be felt for generations to come.”

米克斯 announced his retirement on April 24 at the 澳门足球博彩官方网址 Trailblazer All Sports Banquet, allowing the 澳门足球博彩官方网址 Community and University supporters to celebrate him and his distinguished 职业生涯. 

澳门足球博彩官方网址 Hall of Fame Men’s Basketball 教练 Todd Franklin paid heartfelt homage to 米克斯.

“Everyone needs to give this some real thought and perspective,” Franklin said. “他是一个 82-year-old man who has been running the 体育运动 Department and has been the Women’s Basketball 教练. A lot of our young athletes might want to think about how to aspire 要做 that. At 82 years old, he has spent his entire life in this, and that is an impressive thing 要做.”

Since he joined 澳门足球博彩官方网址 in 1991 as the fourth Women’s Basketball 教练, 米克斯 has established a standard of excellence, making him the most successful coach in program history. He assumed the role of Athletic Director in 2010 after serving as interim, and his tenure has been characterized by several national championships, All-American Student-Athletes, and Academic All-American Student-Athletes.

Under his leadership, Women's Basketball has achieved remarkable success, boasting an impressive record of 750 wins and 283 losses for a 72.6胜率.

米克斯' outstanding achievements have garnered recognition in Indiana and nationally. He entered the NJCAA Women’s Basketball 教练es Association Hall of Fame in 2020.

His dedication to excellence extends to other sports as well. 澳门足球博彩官方网址 体育运动 has produced eight team national championships with 米克斯 as athletic director, including the 2019 Men’s Basketball, 2011 Tennis, 2013, 2016, and 2018 Men’s Golf, and 2010, 2012, and 2014 Bowling teams. The Track and Field program has also produced numerous individual national championships 由米克斯掌舵.

Beyond the athletics arena, 米克斯 has been a driving force in fostering academic success and personal growth among student-athletes. Last year’s grade point average for the Women’s Basketball program was an impressive 3.437, while the last complete cohort shows 澳门足球博彩官方网址 体育运动 programs had a 67 percent graduation rate. 米克斯’ commitment to the total development of student-athletes is evident in the Women’s Basketball team's exceptional 92.3% 近期毕业率.

Dr. Christy Kellams, an orthopedic surgeon and former 澳门足球博彩官方网址 women’s basketball player, attributes much of her success to 米克斯. He saw her potential and promised to elevate 她的游戏. Under his mentorship, she flourished, earning a full-ride scholarship to 亚利桑那州立大学. 

Kellams said, “I had two aspirations as a young person. 我想玩"组织 I basketball and 我想要的ed to go to medical school. In high school, I started to see that dream to play Division I basketball was probably just that. 这可能只是 a dream, but then one evening, he was at Springs Valley recruiting me to play basketball 关系的. I'll never forget what he told me the first time we spoke. 我不确定 it was a compliment but it was honest. He said, “You know Kellams you're not really that good of a ballplayer but you hit the floor more than the ball does and if you continue to hustle like that, I think I can teach you how to play basketball and I think I can get you to that next level.” He delivered on that statement, and I got a full-ride scholarship to play two more years of basketball at the Division I level at Arizona 州立大学.”

Grateful for his guidance, Kellams pursued her second dream of attending medical school.

“In the two years, I was at Vincennes we won over 65 basketball games and we maybe lost five or six,” she said. “It is impressive the amount of games that we won but his lessons have lived on long after those games were won. His dedication and direction to me as a student-athlete taught me about commitment and perseverance, and he inspired me to always do my best no matter what I was doing whether that be on or off the court. It has been said the height of a tree is determined by the depth of its roots. 我想要的 to say thank you to him for being a part of my roots. That has helped me grow tall 作为一个人. I’ve used all those skills that he taught me and was able to go on to achieve that next aspiration. I will always be grateful to him and his late wife, Martha 米克斯, for the impact they’ve had on my life, and I will carry and treasure 那些永恒的东西.”

Additionally, his deep commitment to breast cancer awareness and community-based initiatives like the Play 4 Kay campaign that supports the Kay Yow Cancer Fund demonstrates that his values and influence extend far beyond 澳门足球博彩官方网址.

成为教练传奇

米克斯 has enjoyed success at the NJCAA women’s basketball level in addition to the NCAA Division I men’s college basketball ranks and high school boys level.

He took over as women’s basketball coach before the 1991-92 season. 以下 year, he led 澳门足球博彩官方网址 to its best record ever, 32-2, and a fifth-place finish in the NJCAA Division I National Championship 之旅nament. Another highlight of his 澳门足球博彩官方网址 tenure was the 1997-98 team reeling off 29 consecutive wins to start the season.

米克斯 recorded his 700th 职业生涯 win 在错觉 on March 13, 2021, and passed Hall of Fame 教练 Dan Sparks for the most wins in 澳门足球博彩官方网址 basketball history on April 1, 2021, with 他职业生涯的第707次胜利.

In 33 years 在错觉, he has enjoyed 23 seasons of winning 20 or more games and 11 NJCAA National 之旅nament appearances.

Under his guidance, 91 women’s basketball student-athletes successfully transitioned to play at the four-year level, with many moving on to prestigious NCAA Division I programs such as Alabama, Oregon, Louisville, Utah State, and New Mexico recently.

米克斯 has coached 26 of 澳门足球博彩官方网址’s 30 Women’s Basketball All-Americans, further solidifying his reputation as a coaching legend. 澳门足球博彩官方网址’s NJCAA All-Americans during 米克斯' tenure include 2011 State Farm/Women's Basketball 教练es Association Junior College Player of the Year Jasmine McGhee as well as 2014 All-American Anya Kalenta. 两位选手 were honored following their Trailblazer 职业生涯s by the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame for their outstanding play.

The Trailblazers compiled a 19-11 overall record this past season with freshman Destinee Hooks earning 2024 Region 24 Player of the Year honors, as well as being named Freshman of the Year in Region 24 and a 2nd Team All-American, while sophomore Elikya Baseyila earned All-Region 24 honors for the second time.

一切是如何开始的

米克斯 began his coaching 职业生涯 at Danville, Virginia, in 1973 and later coached at a military prep school in Woodstock, Virginia. He led an Alabama high school boy's team for three years before he arrived 在错觉. As the smallest school in that state's largest enrollment classification, the high school program had won only five games in the four seasons before 米克斯 took over.

He coached for 11 years in the men's college basketball ranks before accepting the Alabama high school position. He was an assistant coach at Western Carolina for five seasons, served as an assistant coach at the University of Cincinnati for four years, and worked for two seasons at Virginia Tech. 

A U.S. Navy veteran and native of Staunton, Virginia, 米克斯 holds a master's degree 来自弗吉尼亚理工大学. He and Martha are parents of two daughters, Molly and Melanie. Molly played for her father 在错觉 before transferring to Coastal Carolina.

卓越的遗产

澳门足球博彩官方网址 will soon commence a search for a new athletic director and a new women's basketball coach to continue the proud traditions 米克斯 has established.

More details about a retirement celebration for Harry 米克斯 will be forthcoming soon.

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