JON MITCHELL recently joined the Syracuse University athletics department as the senior associate athletics director. He comes to Syracuse after more than seven years in sports medicine and administration at Appalachian State and brings more than 26 years of experience in the profession. Mitchell will be responsible for sports medicine, strength and conditioning, nutrition and mental health in a newly created position in the Syracuse athletics department. At Appalachian State, Mitchell served as the senior associate athletics director for student-athlete health and well-being for three years. He started at App State in 2014 as the director of athletic training services. He worked for four seasons as the athletic trainer for the men’s basketball program. Prior to joining the Mountaineers, Mitchell spent 15 years at nearby Gardner-Webb University, where he directed all athletic training operations and was the athletic trainer for the men’s basketball team and men’s cross country and track and field teams. He also served as an instructor and as a preceptor in the athletic training major in the School of Preventive and Rehabilitative Health Sciences at Gardner-Webb. Mitchell earned his bachelor’s degree from Mars Hill College and his master’s from Gardner-Webb. He completed his doctorate degree in education with a focus in global sports leadership at East Tennessee State in 2019.