After interviewing several candidates last week for the vacant girls basketball coaching position, Harlan County High School officials announced Monday that assistant coach Cate Mitchell would take over as the interim coach
“In consultation with the Harlan County High School Site Base Decision Making Council, we unanimously felt that any final decision made at this time would feel rushed, and we wanted to ensure both our returning and incoming players that we would take our time in seeking out the right fit and the best person to lead our Harlan County High School girls basketball program moving forward,” said Eugene Farmer, the athletic director at HCHS, in a press release.
Mitchell was an assistant coach last season with Anthony Nolan, who stepped down in April after 10 seasons as coach.
“I’m thankful for this opportunity to continue working with these girls, and I’m excited to see what we can accomplish this summer,” Mitchell said. “Our current goal is to build the team, master the fundamentals, and get some solid experience before the season begins in the fall.”
Mitchell played basketball at Evarts High School before graduating in 2005. She also graduated from Alice Lloyd and coached one year in Nevada.
“Cate is a proud HCPS employce and has served our district in multiple roles successfully, including English teacher and assistant girls basketball coach. The administration of the Harlan County Schools has the utmost respect for Mrs. Mitchell and her abilities,” Farmer said. “With the critical summer season fast approaching, we felt that it was critical to get someone in place to lead these young ladies through a full summer schedule before making a final decision on a head coach. With Mrs. Mitchell’s rapport with our student-athletes and experience of being our assistant last season, we are confident that Mrs. Mitchell can do that for us and do it well as we continue our search for our third head girls basketball coach in school history.”
