NEW ROCHELLE, NY (February 26, 2026) — Jan Mitchell, one of the most decorated cross-country and track & field coaches in New York state history, announced his retirement Friday, ending a coaching career that spanned more than half a century at both Iona Preparatory and The Ursuline School.
Mitchell, whose teams have competed at Iona Prep for 51 years — representing nearly half of the school’s history — and at Ursuline for 36 years, told athletes at practice that the current season will be his last.
Under his leadership, athletes earned more than 800 All-County selections, captured over 100 Sectional championships and 22 Westchester County titles, and recorded 87 All-Americans. His squads also claimed eight Catholic High School Athletic Association varsity championships and produced 31 Con Edison Scholar Athletes.
Individually, Mitchell has been inducted into the Armory Foundation, CHSAA, Iona Prep and Ursuline Halls of Fame and was named the 2023 New York State Coach of the Year. He is currently being nominated for the Westchester County Sports Hall of Fame and will be nominated for the New Rochelle Sports Hall of Fame when eligible in five years.
Mitchell’s impact extended beyond wins and titles. He helped found the cross-country and track & field programs at Ursuline in 1990 and became the first 50-year faculty member in Iona Prep’s history last May, prompting the creation of a new award, Ad Glorium Dei, in his honor.
Iona Prep President Brother Thomas R. Leto, Ed.D., said Mitchell had helped “mold countless generations of young men in the classroom and around the track to be leaders and pursuers of excellence, and all for His glory.”
Athletic Director Ryan Mahoney praised Mitchell’s influence across sports programs, noting that other coaches often sent athletes to Mitchell and his assistants during offseason to improve speed and strength.
Mitchell also taught social studies, European history for college credit and a film course, and served as department chair in the 1980s. His children all ran for him, and his legacy at Iona Prep and Ursuline is tied to decades of coaching, teaching and program building.
This article was prepared with the assistance of AI tools under the direction and editing of Robert Cox.
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