Black Excellence: Saluting “Coach Jaz” Of Sumter County

It doesn't have to be Black History Month for us to recognize great individuals in Alabama. Jazmin Mitchell is simply Black Excellence.

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Jazmin Mitchell (Coach Jaz) is a native of Sumter County, Alabama.
He is a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity and the Eastern Star Baptist Church in York and Demopolis, AL. He serves on several civic and community boards and is the father of two beautiful children.

He graduated from the Sumter County Public School System as an All-Star stand-out athlete. He was named 1998, 4-A State Player of the year by the AHSAA (Alabama High School Athletic Association). Mitchell possesses athletic experience as a basketball player and coach on the collegiate and high school levels.

Coach Mitchell is currently employed as a Physical Education teacher, Athletic Director and Head Boys Basketball Coach for Sumter Central High School. With over 18 years of coaching experience, he is noted as one of the most outstanding coaches in West Alabama and he is revered for his leadership and mentoring to other coaches.

This enthusiastic Coach has led his team to deep playoff runs in back-to-back years.

He was given one of Alabama’s High School Athletic Association's most prestigious awards by being named 2016 Coach of the Year.

Most recently, Coach Mitchell was awarded the United Service Award at the 2021-2022 West Alabama Young Leaders Awards.

This year, Coach Mitchell organized the first Sumter County Softball Team making history for the town. Councilman Mitchell leads a local Basketball Camp each summer to ensure that all children in the community are active and excited about learning new skills. Coach Mitchell has petitioned the School Board to advance academic and athletic opportunities for the students of Sumter Central. This ambitious coach explained to Board Members and the Community, “...academics and coaching, go hand-in-hand!” Education needs more leaders willing to roll up their sleeves and Mitchell has done for the past eighteen years for his school and community.
Mitchell has been a strong proponent of giving back to his community and advocating for the young and the elderly. He is the creator of a non-profit group called “Mitchell Blessings Others”. Moreover, Mitchell is politically active; he is serving in his first term as a member of the York City Council. During Covid, Mitchell led the charge to bring vaccination sites to the Community of York. His compassion for his people is continuously visible as he works in the community, at the school, and in surrounding areas championing equal access to services and opportunities. Over the last year alone, Mitchell has written grants, evaluated road and park conditions, met with politicians, visited the elderly, secured scholarships, sponsored college tours, established tutoring programs, and organized health fairs and blood drives, all while teaching, and led the City!
For such a young man, Coach Mitchell is building a legacy by example for everyone he touches. This award should be representative of a teacher leader that goes the extra mile; therefore, it would only be deserving of one such as “Coach Jaz”! He is a true role model and example of what a difference a coach can make in the life of a student and the citizens of a community.