Courtesy of Brad Monastiere, Hillsdale Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations and Event Management
HILLSDALE, Mich. - The Hillsdale College athletic department is excited to announce the hiring of Todd Mitmesser as the fifth head coach in the history of the Charger women's basketball program. He officially started in his position April 20.
Mitmesser comes to Hillsdale after several years' worth of experience in Division I women's basketball coaching staffs, including the University of Toledo, and most recently, Stony Brook University in New York.
"I feel truly blessed to have my first collegiate head coaching position at a school with a rich reputation for athletic and academic excellence. Every step of the way in this process, it just felt to me and my family that Hillsdale was the place I wanted to be. "
Hillsdale College Athletic Director Don Brubacher said he was impressed with Mitmesser's vision for how he intends to manage the Charger program on all levels.
"I am thrilled with the qualities coach Mitmesser brings to the Hillsdale College women's basketball team," Brubacher said. "He will provide excellent leadership in every aspect of the program."
Mitmesser comes to Hillsdale with an impressive track record of success and being a part of quick turnarounds at more than one program. At Lincoln East High School in Nebraska. In his six seasons there, he led the team to the 2003-04 state championship, and a state runner-up finish in 2002-03. From there, he became an assistant coach at the University of Evansville (2005-08), where his team was MVC champions and advanced to the second round of the women's NIT in 2007-08.
In the 2008-09 season, he began a three-year run with the University of Toledo Rockets, when the team ascended to the top of the Mid-American Conference. In 2010-11, Mitmesser and his staff led the Rockets to the MAC and WNIT championships. He was promoted to associate head coach in 2011-12, when Toledo advanced to the WNIT Elite Eight.
The following season, he moved to New York to be an assistant coach at Stony Brook. The year before his arrival, the Sea Wolves had a record of 4-26, but the program rose quickly in Mitmesser's first season. In 2013-14, the team advanced to the America East Conference Tournament championship game, and qualified for the WNIT. The program's win total rose from 4 the year before his arrival, to 14 in the first year (2012-13) and to a 24-9 record his second year there (2013-14). In 2014-15, Stony Brook went 17-14.
He coached players who were named defensive player of the year in both America East and the MAC during his time at Stony Brook and Toledo, respectively. He is the first male to ever be the head coach of the Charger women's basketball program.
"I feel very fortunate to have had the chance to work with so many talented coaches throughout my career. I'm looking forward to applying everything I have experienced to help bring Hillsdale up to a championship level, where it has been many times in the past."
Mitmesser was born in nearby Coldwater, where his father was a teacher in the school district and coached golf and basketball for many years. He and his wife Susan have two children, Marian, 9, and Edward, 7.
