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Former WSU, KU coach Mitchell dies
Jack Mitchell, who led the University of Wichita to its best football record in 1954 and later coached nine seasons at Kansas, died in Arizona. He was 85.
Mitchell, an Arkansas City native who later became an All-America quarterback at Oklahoma in the late 1940s, got his first head-coaching job at WU in 1953 and led a rebuilding Shocker team to a 4-4-1 record.
The next year, the Shockers were 9-1 and won the football program's first Missouri Valley Conference championship. Before the end of the season, WU officials signed Mitchell to a 10-year contract.
Less than two months later, Mitchell became head coach at Arkansas. He coached in Fayetteville for three seasons, then became KU's coach in 1958.
At KU, Mitchell was 44-42-5. He led KU to its first bowl victory, a 33-7 Bluebonnet Bowl win over Rice in 1961.
Mitchell's nine-year tenure is tied with Glen Mason for the longest as a KU football coach. Current coach Mark Mangino is entering his eighth season.
Mitchell attended Texas and Ark City Community College before entering military service during World War II. After coaching, Mitchell became owner of the Wellington Daily News.