Aug. 23, 2001
Chicago, Ill. - University of Illinois at Chicago Men's Basketball Head Coach Jimmy Collins has added Lynn Mitchem to his staff the sixth-year skipper announced today.
Mitchem, who will work with the Flames' big men, joins UIC following assistant coaching stints at Nebraska, Washington State, Ball State, Loyola, and, most recently, a two-year tenure at Southern Illinois in Carbondale, Ill.
"Lynn brings us a boat load of recruiting experience," Collins said. "With every program he's been involved with, the big guys have gotten better and better and we're confident he will have the same impact on our young men.
"Lynn has represented the universities he's worked at with class and style," Collins continued. "He's a quality individual and we think he's a great fit for us here at UIC."
A four-year letterwinner at Butler University, Mitchem finished his collegiate career as the Bulldogs' third all-time leading scorer with 1,798 points. He is also third in the career annals for field goals made, fourth for career rebounds and seventh for career field goal percentage.
A three-time First Team All-Midwestern Collegiate Conference honoree and the Butler student-athlete of the year in 1983, Mitchem led the Bulldogs in scoring during his sophomore, junior and senior seasons and following his standout collegiate career, he was drafted by the NBA's Indiana Pacers.
Following a brief professional career overseas, Mitchem landed his first collegiate coaching post in 1985 as he served as a graduate assistant coach at Purdue University for one season under the legendary Gene Keady. He then went on to an assistant position at Nebraska, a job he held from 1986-92. At Nebraska, Mitchem assisted in recruiting one of the nation's top 10 recruiting classes in 1991, while helping turn the Cornhuskers into a perennial top-20 team and a regular contender for the Big Eight title.
In 1992, Mitchem joined the Washington State basketball staff as an assistant coach while also serving as the program's recruiting coordinator. In 1993, he returned to the Midwest to serve as an assistant at Ball State for one season before joining Ken Burmeister's staff at Loyola for four years.
A 1983 graduate of Butler, Mitchem earned a bachelor's degree in physical education with a minor in special education. He replaces Dick Nagy, who retired from a 32-year coaching career over the summer.
