When it became clear that Mo Hicks was going to leave Rice and join the St. John’s men’s basketball coaching staff, Rice athletic director Bro. Bill Sherlog didn’t need to look far to find his replacement. He was sitting right next to Hicks on the Raiders bench for more than a decade.
Dwayne Mitchell, who was Hicks’ top assistant, has been named the new head coach, Sherlog told The Post Wednesday night.
“I know that Dwayne has been part of the Rice family for the last 10 years and I know the kids are very happy and confident that he’s the new head coach,” Sherlog said. “We knew from the start it would happen this way.”
Mitchell, 49, will try and fill Hicks’ rather large shoes. He won a CHSAA record six Class AA intersectional titles in his 16 years at the helm. But the transition is as seamless as possible since Mitchell was not only Hicks’ top assistant the last 11 years, but he is also a physical education teacher in the school. Ironically, Mitchell came to Rice when Dermon Player, now an assistant coach with Seton Hall, left to take a coaching job at St. John’s.
“It’s a blessing,” he said. “I want to keep the tradition going. It’s a big responsibility to take over a program like this. I appreciate the opportunity from the school.”
“The main thing is to produce good kids with good character,” Mitchell said. “Kids that stay out of trouble, get a quality education. Mo did a great job of getting kids into college. He didn’t get the credit he deserves.”
Mitchell, who is also a coach with the New York Gauchos, a powerhouse AAU program that Hicks served as director of until he joined Steve Lavin’s staff, doesn’t plan on changing much. He was always a proponent of Hicks’ fast-paced style and press-happy defenses.
“My philosphy is don’t try to fix something that isn’t broke,” he said.
“The kids are the easiest to deal with change because they’re young and their lives are full of changes,” Sherlog added. “He has a real good sense of the place. He’s in the building all the time.”
Sherlog said he was most impressed with Mitchell’s calm demeanor.
“I like his steadiness, he’s very focused, unflappable really,” Sherlog said. “Mo is more of a dynamo, he’s more animated. Dwayne has more of a quieter style. He and Mo made a great combination.”
This is MItchell’s first head-coaching varsity job, but he has plenty of experience. In addition to his work with the Gauchos and his time as an assistant at Rice, he coached for five season at Nazareth as freshman and JV coach and varsity assistant.
Additional reporting by Zach Braziller