The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Staff Directory
- Title:
- Running Backs
Danny Mitchell enters his fourth season at UAB in 2026 and his second as Run Game Coordinator and Running Backs Coach.
After serving as Senior Offensive Analyst during his first two seasons with the Blazers, Mitchell was elevated to Run Game Coordinator and Running Backs Coach prior to the 2025 season. In his first year leading the running backs room, UAB rushed for 1,664 yards and 20 touchdowns. Jevon Jackson paced the ground attack with 900 rushing yards, while Solomon Beebe scored six rushing touchdowns and earned Third Team All-American Conference honors as a return specialist.
Mitchell helped UAB establish a school record for total offense in 2023, averaging 450.0 yards per game.
A 2023 European Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, Mitchell brings extensive and unique coaching experience to the Blazers. Prior to arriving at UAB, he served as Offensive Coordinator for the Vienna Vikings of the European League of Football and helped guide the franchise to a league championship in its inaugural season in 2022. For his efforts, he was nominated for European League of Football Assistant Coach of the Year.
Before joining the Vienna Vikings, Mitchell served as Head Coach and Athletic Director at Christian Unified High School in San Diego, Calif. During his tenure, he successfully implemented a strategic plan that allowed student-athletes to safely compete throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and helped position the program to compete for a league championship within his first year.
Mitchell previously served as Offensive Coordinator at The Bishopβs School, where his teams posted three undefeated regular seasons, won four consecutive conference championships, reached two CIF San Diego Section championship games, captured a Southern California Regional Championship and advanced to a California State Championship appearance. Under his direction, Bishopβs produced the highest-scoring offense in San Diego history and set the schoolβs offensive records on three separate occasions. In his final season, the Knights averaged 56.1 points per game while quarterback Tyler Buchner went on to earn opportunities at both Notre Dame and Alabama.
Mitchell also coached internationally as Head Coach of the Osnabruck Tigers in Germany and as Offensive Coordinator and Associate Head Coach of the Carlstad Crusaders in Sweden, helping both organizations complete undefeated seasons and win national championships.
He began his collegiate coaching career at Menlo College in 2012 before returning to his alma mater, Willamette University, as running backs coach in 2013. Mitchell later coached wide receivers at the University of San Diego and served as a graduate assistant at San Jose State in 2016.
A former quarterback at Willamette from 2009-12, Mitchell also played collegiate baseball at San Diego Christian from 2007-08. Following his collegiate career, he played professionally in Europe for the Carlstad Crusaders, earning Offensive Player of the Year honors.
Mitchell continues to invest in professional development at the NFL level. In 2024, he was selected as one of 25 coaches for the inaugural Tampa Bay Buccaneers National Coaching Academy, spending two weeks embedded with the organization. He also spent a week with the Pittsburgh Steelers during the 2025 offseason.
Mitchell and his wife, Samantha, reside in Birmingham.
