Stories of George Clooney, archrival Tennessee and playing a guitar were among the icebreakers used Thursday by Kentucky women’s basketball coach Matthew Mitchell in front of a crowd at Caproni’s.

Mitchell, the keynote speaker at the 36th annual Mason County UK Alumni Club dinner, told guests of the number of improvements on campus as well as the progress of the women’s basketball program. After seven seasons on the job, the Wildcat boss has helped grow interest in the program and make them one of the toughest teams to play, whether at Memorial Coliseum (76-7 in the last four years at home) or elsewhere. Since his arrival in 2009, Mitchell is 170-71 and is the school’s all-time wins leader on the women’s side.

After coming off a year in which the Coliseum hosted NCAA tournament games for the first time and a 26-9 overall record that resulted in a Sweet 16 berth, Mitchell is noticing the popularity.

“We’ve always had great support but I think that as we’ve gotten better, just seeing the appreciation from the fans and the support we’ve been given by our athletic director and by our president has just made this one of the best jobs in the country,” Mitchell said. “It’s just a really exciting place to coach basketball. We’ve had some great kids that have worked real hard to help us build the program and events like (Thursday night) are my favorite because you really can get out, be with the folks and the alumni that care so much for the university and that’s the reason we’re successful.”

He hopes more curiosity about the program will grow the brand.

Jim Stice, the president of the Mason County chapter of the UK Alumni Club, was pleased to have Mitchell as their featured speaker. The passion for the job is what drew Stice’s attention.

“He’s a very charismatic person and he talked about how important it is to be high character for the girls,” Stice said. “It’s not just being a basketball coach, but it’s also preparing them for life. You can tell he’s passionate about it, that’s the kind of people he has on his staff and that’s reflective in how successful they’ve been since he’s been here on campus.”

With members from the Southeastern Conference meeting this week in Florida, a number of items have been newsworthy. Among them are the relocation of the men’s and women’s conference basketball championships and the launch of the SEC Network. Mitchell believes the new channel will really showcase the strength and depth of the conference, not just in football and basketball.

“I think that our conference is the premier sports conference in America. I think in all sports, we’re so competitive and we’re really leaders in a national respect,” Mitchell said. “It’s good to get everybody down there and exchange ideas and try to make sure we’re moving forward as a conference.

As John Calipari, his counterpart on the men’s side, continues to deal with the high turnover rate with players leaving for the professional ranks, Mitchell understands that rosters will change from year-to-year yet finds positives. 

“I like the dynamic of having to start over every year and figuring out how to put a team together so it’s been fun,” Mitchell said.

He also gave advice about chasing dreams, saying that integrity and focus are the first steps in building towards a goal. Mitchell’s story is a prime example as his first coaching spot was at Lexington (Mississippi) Central Holmes Academy. Not only  did he coach the boys and girls basketball teams, he was also head track and golf coach and served as the defensive coordinator on the football team.

“Find out what you’re passionate about, really work on being the best person you can and I think when you mix solid character with great passion, you can do whatever you set your mind to,” Mitchell said.Â