Bio

Mitchell Switzer begins his seventh season at Bryant University and his sixth as the Director of Cross Country/Track and Field and the head track and field coach in 2020-21. Switzer spent the 2014-15 season as the interim men's track and field head coach before being elevated on May 26, 2015.

Switzer has taken the Bulldogs to another level in his first five years, completely rewriting the school record book and setting a new standard for postseason success. In six seasons, Switzer has coached 81 All-NEC performers, 26 All-New England performers, one New England Champion, one All-ECAC runner, numerous New England and ECAC/IC4A qualifiers, and one NCAA qualifier. 

In 2020-21, both men's and women's cross country had their best league results since 2015, with the women finishing sixth and the men fourth. Julia Ayres, Sarah Freeman, and Jason Dolan earned All-NEC honors that season as well.  Both squads earned academic honors as well, each being awarded a spot on the NEC honor roll and Comissioner's honor roll. Both teams were named USTFCCCA All-Academic as well, and the men also earned the NEC team sportsmanship award. There was no indoor season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the outdoor season proved to be the most successful in program history. Both men's ans women's teams had their best ever results at the NEC Championships, with the men finishing fifth and the women sixth. Both teams also finished with their highest ever point totals in the champiosnhip meet. The Bulldogs won gold in four events at the NEC's, with Jasmine Hope winning long jump, Jason Dolan winning the 1500 meters, and Will Remkiewicz winning the 800 meters. Overall, the two teams combined for seven ALL-NEC performances and three all-rookie performances at the meet. The Bulldogs also had success at the regional and national levels. The men and women both had a number of competitors at the New England regional competition, with Nikki Xiarhos (200m), Kasey Thomas and Brett Cloutier (shot put), Nick Alessandro (javelin), and the women's 4x100m relay team all earning All-New England honors. At the ECAC/I4CA meet, the teams' 12th place finish was their highest ever. Will Remkiewicz (400m) and Jason Dolan (800m) each finished second, while the mens' 4x400 and 4x800 relay teams finished 3rd and 8th, respectively. Dolan also qualified for the NCAA championships in the 800 meters, becoming the first athlete in program history to be an NCAA qualifier. Overall, the two teams combined to break 12 school records and were each awarded USTFCCCA All-Academic honors. The women also won the NEC Sportsmaship award.

In 2019-20, Switzer helped the Bulldogs to one of its most successful cross country and indoor season. In XC, both the men and women finished sixth overall during the conference championship led by Julia Ayres who finished 13th overall and earned a spot on the All-Conference squad. Bryant also put three rookies, two men and one woman, on the All-Rookie team in Abby Hamilton, Jonathan Iamarone, and Evan Coyne. The men rounded out the cross country season with its highest finish to date at the regional meet finishing 33^rd overall in the team standings. The Bulldogs kept the success rolling into the indoor track and field season with eight new school records and six qualifying marks for the ECAC/IC4A Championship. Both the men and the women posted its best finish ever at the NEC Indoor Championship meet which was highlighted by a gold medal from senior Emily Cluck who defended her title in the 400m. Cluck also made history by shattering the championship meet record with a time of 54.72 and she was honored by earning First Team All-NEC. Sophomore Shileigh Martinez also took home a medal for the women’s squad with a bronze in pole vault while sophomore Jason Dolan earned a bronze in the 800m for the men. Freshman Emma Garrity broke Bryant’s school record in the 500m at the indoor championship with a time of 1:16.71 to earn a spot on the NEC’s All-Rookie team. Bryant’s success didn’t stop at the NEC’s as sophomore Nicole Xiarhos won a silver medal at the NEICAAA Championship in the 200m while the men’s 4x400 team earned All-New England at the same meet. Dolan also earned All-East honors at IC4A’s in the men’s 1000m while Cluck qualified for the final heat in the 400m at ECAC’s to close out the season.

In 2018-19, the Bulldogs set eight new school records including a historic performance from the men's distance medley relay squad. The DMR team of Jason Dolan, Jordan Dagrin, Brian Salit, and Andrew Canale shattered the school record at the indoor IC4As and became the first DMR team from Bryant that qualified for the final heat. The relay team finished the meet with an eighth-place overall finish. Across the indoor and outdoor seasons, Bryant brought home five medals from the NEC Championship which was highlighted by Emily Cluck who earned the lone gold medal of the year in the 400m at the indoor NEC Championship. In cross country, the Black and Gold hosted the NEC Championship in Smithfield during a Nor'easter storm. The Bulldogs placed two on the All-Conference list for cracking the top 14 in Matt McGovern and Noah Tellier. Switzer also oversaw two freshmen on the women's side, Julia Ayres and Sarah Freeman, earn NEC All-Rookie honors. 

In 2017-18, Bryant shattered 11 school records and earned seven medals at the NEC Championship across the indoor and outdoor seasons. Switzer also helped the cross country team to a fourth-place finish for the women and fifth-place finish for the men, highlighted by an All-NEC performer in Melissa Lodge for finishing sixth overall. 

In 2016-17 alone, the Black and Gold track and field teams set 20 school records and took home 20 All-NEC honors, including two individual golds and a relay gold. Switzer oversaw the cross country program that featured two All-NEC performers, two All-Rookie performers and one All-ECAC honoree. Melissa Lodge enjoyed one of the most successful years in program history in 2016-17, earning All-NEC and All-ECAC honors in cross country before becoming a three-time gold medalist during the track and field season. Also, Switzer watched on as Jonee Harrison made history, becoming the first female thrower to medal at both the indoor (silver) and outdoor (bronze) championships in program history. 

In 2015-16, the Bulldogs earned six medals at the NEC Championships, four were named All-New England and 18 school records were broken. Adam Malone became the highest finishing male in program history, earning a pair of silver medals in the triple jump. The men's 4x800 outdoor relay team also enjoyed a historic moment as they became the first quartet in school history to run a sub-8:00 time on their way to a silver medal. 

In his first year, Switzer helped the Bulldogs to unprecedented heights. Under his coaching, the Black and Gold set 17 school records, had seven players take home medals at the NEC Championships, had eight earn All-NEC honors and sent eight to the ECAC/IC4A Championships. The Bulldogs also saw their top-10 lists completely rewritten. During the indoor season, 10 women and 15 men qualified for the New England Championships, while six qualified for the ECAC/IC4A Championships. During the outdoor season, 25 more athletes qualified for New Englands and two more competed in the ECAC/IC4A Championships.

Individually, Kristen Hayes, MiaLynne Park, Annmarie Tuxbury and Milan Duka all thrived in Switzer's first year. Hayes emerged as one of the top 400m hurdlers in the region, shattering the Bryant school record while claiming her second-straight gold medal at the NEC Outdoor Track and Field Championships. She also became the first finalist in school history at the ECAC/IC4A Championships and was the New England Champion in the 400 hurdles. Switzer also guided Park to a bronze medal in the 400 during both the indoor and outdoor seasons and Tuxbury to a pair of silver medals in the 10k and steeplechase. Duka earned a bronze medal in the mile during the indoor season.

Switzer's student-athletes have also excelled in the classroom during his tenure. In his three years, the Bulldogs have earned NEC Commissioner's Honor Roll distinction 50 times and NEC Academic Honor Roll distinction 195 times. The Black and Gold have also been recognized as a USTFCCCA All-Academic Team in mens and womens cross country and mens and womens track and field in each of the last three years. 

A 2013 graduate of the University of Vermont, Switzer enjoyed a standout career for the Catamounts before joining the coaching staff for the 2013-14 year. A member of the 2014 America East Women's Coaching Staff of the Year, he developed training plans and developmental athlete lifting programs. Switzer helped the Catamounts record program-best finishes of second (women) and fifth (men) at the AE Championships and saw his athletes set 14 school records, 11 earn All-ECAC/All-IC4A and one qualify for the NCAA East Regional.

A native of Phoenix, N.Y., Switzer was a NCAA Division I national qualifier in the 400 hurdles during 2012, setting the UVM school record in the process. He was also a member of the 4x400 school record relay team during the indoor and outdoor seasons.

Switzer also qualified for the IC4As as a junior and a senior, earned All-New England honors and was a two-time All-America East selection in the 400 hurdles. He also competed in the European Track Circuit in 2013.

Switzer is USATFCCCA Jumps Specialist certified, a USTFCCCA Strength and Conditioning Coach certified, is USATF Level 1 certified and has spoken and presented at the VTXCA annual coaches clinic.