Lance Mitchell, who led the Muir football team to a CIF Southern Section championship in 2022 and was hoping to return the Mustangs to the level of their storied past, is leaving to become the head coach at St. Francis.
Mitchell, who graduated from Muir, said it was a difficult decision. Muir was his first head coaching job. In his first season, the Mustangs won the CIF-SS Division 10 championship in 2022. They also won a CIF State regional title that season before losing in the state finals.
The Mustangs reached the Division 7 semifinals in 2023. They reached the Division 6 quarterfinals last season, where they lost to St. Francis 28-27.
This past season Muir went undefeated in the Pacific League for a second straight season. The Mustangs reached the Division 6 playoffs, where they lost in the first round to Charter Oak, 17-14 in overtime to finish 9-2.
The Mustangs went 36-16 during Mitchell’s time as head coach and won back-to-back Pacific League titles.
Mitchell started out as a walk-on coach at Muir but eventually became a full-time teacher there. In recent months he had talked about having the Mustangs play a more challenging schedule so that they could compete in the toughest division possible.
St. Francis offered a lucrative financial package that Muir could not come close to and that Mitchell could not pass up. Now he has an opportunity to take over one of the top parochial schools in the area with a rich football tradition.
“I’m excited, but it’s bittersweet too,” Mitchell said. “It’s life-changing for me as far as resources and what I’m able to do. But it was a hard decision. Much harder than I envisioned.”
Mitchell had long-term plans for Muir.
“I love Muir, I love what we were building,” Mitchell said. “The vision was to build Muir up and to be a top public school in the area. I had a plan for it to happen over the next 10 years and we were on our way. But situations change and this was a big one.”
Now he turns his focus to St. Francis, where he believes anything is possible. Although Mitchell graduated from Muir, he spent his freshman season at St. Francis, where he got to know the community and the surroundings.
“Sky’s the limit, it really is” Mitchell said. “The resources that they have are amazing. It’s at an elite level. No knock on a public school, but you’re just able to develop student-athletes different with these resources. And you’ve got a great tradition there. I’m excited thinking about it.”
Mitchell succeeds coach Dean Herrington, who was fired shortly after the Golden Knights finished the season 2-8. Herrington went 35-26 during his five-years at the school. He led the Golden Knights to back-to-back CIF-SS championship games his first two seasons. They won three Angelus League titles.
Those are big shoes to fill, but Mitchell says he’s ready. He said the year he spent as a student at the school will help.
“It’s cool because I’ve seen the other end of it,” Mitchell said. “I know what it’s like to play there and go there. I have an idea of what changes need to be made, and the reasons kids go there or might leave. I’m going to be able to fill that gap and hopefully make St. Francis a (destination) spot that players stay and thrive in.”
St. Francis, which announced Mitchell’s hiring Wednesday, said it had 70 applicants for the job.
“We were fortunate to have an outstanding pool of candidates, but coach Mitchell clearly stood apart,” St. Francis principal Tracy Traver wrote in a press release. “I am confident he will honor the proud tradition of St. Francis football while emphasizing character development rooted in our Franciscan values. We are excited about the bright future ahead under his leadership.”
Interim athletic director and basketball coach Todd Wolfson also offered his endorsement.
“He brings a rare combination of competitive excellence, humility, and genuine care for young men,” Wolfson wrote. “Coach Mitchell understands that building a successful program starts with relationships, accountability, and character. He will challenge our student-athletes to be better players, better teammates, and better men—and he will do so in a way that honors the Capuchin Franciscan values that define the very best of us.”
