Matthew Mitchell, head coach, UK women’s basketball

Kentucky head coach Matthew Mitchell’s teams are known for using three “winning tools” for success: honesty, hard work and discipline. So it’s no surprise that in just six seasons at the helm, Mitchell is now UK’s all-time winningest coach with 144 wins, and year-after-year he assembles teams that are synonymous with winning on and off the court.

Mitchell's defensive philosophy has helped the Wildcats advance to a school-record four consecutive NCAA tournaments, including Elite Eight appearances in three of the last four seasons. UK has finished in the top three of the Southeastern Conference standings three straight seasons, including winning the SEC regular season championship in 2012, its first in 30 years. UK advanced to the SEC Tournament championship game three of the last four years and has charted 25-plus wins four straight seasons, one of just 11 schools in the country to accomplish that feat. The Wildcats have ranked in the top 25 of both national polls 67 consecutive weeks, including ending the 2012-13 season with the highest ranking in school history at No. 7.