MINNEAPOLIS — Former Timberwolves coach Sam Mitchell said he's interested in the Minnesota Gophers basketball coaching job, calling the program a "hidden gem" in the Big Ten.
Mitchell, who was the Wolves interim coach in 2015-16, believes he could take advantage of the strong high school talent in Minnesota and recruit nationally to help the program take the next step.
"I'm not interested in the University of Minnesota just to have a job," Mitchell, who works for NBATV, told the Star Tribune. "I want to compete for Big Ten championships and national championships."
Gophers athletic director Mark Coyle, who fired Richard Pitino on Monday after eight seasons, said he would consider a "diverse candidate pool" for the next Gophers coach.
Mitchell has been speculated among the potential candidates to replace Pitino. Other possible candidates of color include Cleveland State's Dennis Gates and Dayton's Anthony Grant.
When the Wolves started their first NBA franchise in 1989, Mitchell was among their first players. The Georgia native eventually returned in 1995 to play for coach Flip Saunders and mentor Kevin Garnett, the organization's biggest star.
Mitchell noticed then the Gophers were also a big basketball draw in town in the 1990s.
"When I was playing with the Timberwolves, every kid wanted to play at the University of Minnesota," Mitchell said. "That was their dream. I think it's an unbelievable recruiting base. You can lock down the state of Minnesota if you let these kids know we're going to build a national power."
Mitchell's coaching experience is primarily at the NBA level, including when he was named NBA coach of the year with the Toronto Raptors in 2007. His only college stint was as an assistant under Penny Hardaway at Memphis in 2018-19, helping him recruit the nation's No. 1 rated recruiting class.
"I think my advantage is the ability to identify talent that can play at the pro level," Mitchell said.
