Coaching doubles

SUNY Oneonta has removed the interim tag on men’s and women’s tennis coach Lonnie Mitchel, making him the permanent head coach of both teams.

Oneonta named Mitchel the interim head coach of both programs before the start of the men’s spring season. He was named the official head coach July 10, and will begin his first full season with both teams this year.

Mitchel and his family will retain their East Meadow residence, but during the fall and spring, he will stay primarily in Oneonta to coach the teams. The women play their regular season in the fall while the men play a shortened, non-traditional season and in the spring, they switch.

This past season, Mitchel led the men’s team to a 9-3 record, finishing in the top 20 in the northeast region according to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. The team achieved success off the court as well. It won the Jay Pawa Team Academic Award, given to the men’s and women’s team with the highest GPA on campus. The women’s team posted a 5-6 record in the non-traditional season.

This has been his first experience coaching a college team. Prior to Oneonta, Mitchel worked with tennis players of various age groups and abilities. He was a tennis pro at Carefree Racquet and Health Club in North Merrick for more than 20 years, and the head pro at Future Stars Tennis Center in Great Neck in the early 1990s.

Mitchel stresses what he calls the “core four,” focusing on footwork, poise, mental toughness and consistency. He hopes to brand an identity for the team by having players adhere to his philosophy and hold them accountable for their play.

“Chances are, if you excel in all four of those components, you’re going to be a successful player,” he said.

In addition to coaching, Mitchel will continue to write for Long Island and New York Tennis magazines, which he has done for the past three years.