Prestonwood Christian Academy (PCA) in Plano announced that Lovejoy High School’s Ryan Mitchell will take over as the Lady Lions Head Varsity Volleyball Coach. Coach Mitchell was recently named National Coach of the Year, State Coach of the Year (for the fifth time) and won a National Championship and his seventh State Championship in 11 years.
“Ryan Mitchell is not only one of the premier volleyball coaches in the nation, but one of the strongest Christian coaches I’ve ever known,” said Dr. Mike Goddard, Prestonwood Christian Academy Superintendent. “He lifts everyone he influences up to new levels of accomplishment. I’m thrilled to be able to call Ryan teammate once again.”
Coach Mitchell comes to PCA from Lovejoy High School having won back-to-back State championships in 2019 and 2020 in which his team completed a perfect season at 26-0 in 2020 and won the PrepVolleyball National Championship. In 2020, Coach Mitchell won Dallas Morning News Coach of the Year honors along with AVCA Regional Coach of Year.
From 2014 through 2017, Coach Mitchell was the Head Coach for Southlake Carroll where he amassed an 84% winning percentage and took his team to the Regional Tournament two times. Coach Mitchell opened up Lovejoy High School in 2006 and led the program to its first State championship in 2008 where he would go on to win five State championships in a row. Coach Mitchell's seven State Championships put him among the most elite high school coaches along with his overall record of 563-79. He has been named District Coach of the Year 12 times, Dallas Morning News Coach of the Year three times, NFHS National Coach of the Year, and Texas Sports Writers Association Coach of the Year twice.
"Prestonwood Christian Academy Athletics has a storied tradition of excellence throughout all the programs and especially the history of the PCA Volleyball team and it's State Championships,” said Coach Mitchell. “I am thrilled to be a part of such a program and hope to make the Prestonwood Volleyball Team the premier volleyball program in the country. The goal to combine championship athletics with a Kingdom mindset is one that can ignite the passions in both the athletes and coaches in the volleyball program. I am looking forward to the journey together!"
Coach Mitchell started his head coaching career at Irving Nimitz in 2004 and also served five years as an assistant at Hebron. He played setter on the Dallas Baptist University volleyball team and spent one year as a student assistant at DBU before starting his career in 2001. In addition to his high school coaching, Mitchell works for Skyline Juniors Volleyball Club where he has been head coaching for 11 years. He and his wife Kaitlin live in Lucas with their four kids: Reid (16), Eli (14), Tatum (5), Brock (3).
Prestonwood Christian Academy School System is made up of five schools serving students across the Dallas Metroplex and virtually throughout the world. More than 1,650 students are enrolled at four campuses: PCA Plano (Pre-K3 through 12th Grade), PCA North in Prosper (Pre-K3 through 10th Grade), PCA Hybrid (K-2nd and 5th-6th Grades) and PCAplus Virtual Academy. St. Timothy Christian Academy in Plano serves students with learning differences and The King’s Academy provides a Christian education to students in South Dallas. The PCA School System has been recognized as having one of the strongest Christian education programs in the country providing intentional biblical worldview training and integration. PCA places great value on the growth of students’ spiritual health in addition to their scholastic endeavors and co-curricular activities. Tantamount to its Spiritual Development plan is PCA’s rigorous Liberal Arts academic program. From the first graduating class in 2002 through the class of 2021, graduates have been offered more than $154.5 million in scholarship for academics, arts and athletics from universities and other institutions of higher learning. All PCA schools are now enrolling for the system's 25th school year in 2021-22.