YEATESVILLE — The late Bing Mitchell dedicated so much of his time to Northside High School during his career and this past Friday the school attempted to return the favor as it renamed its football field after the beloved coach during halftime of the Panthers’ football game against Manteo.
With Mitchell’s family and friends in attendance, Northside announced that the home of the Panthers will now be called Bing Mitchell Stadium.
“He put a lot of time and hard work into the school and it was nice to repay the Mitchell family and Coach Mitchell with an honor like that,” said Northside football coach Keith Boyd. “The ceremony was really nice. I don’t see (Mitchell’s sons) Keith and Kevin as much as I used to and it was really nice to have them back on campus.”
Mitchell’s decorated coaching career spans all over the area as he worked as a teacher, coach and athletic director for over 36 years. Mitchell’s stops include Bertie, Bath, Washington, Southside and Northside.
Mitchell, who passed away on Nov. 22, 2010 at the age of 64, was the head coach of a Northside football team that finished second in the state, a two-time WDN Football Coach of the Year and is a member of the Washington High School Walk of Fame.
While Mitchell left his mark wherever he coached, his roots run especially deep at Northside High School.
“He started when the school started, Walt Davis was the head coach and he was the offensive coordinator for about the first six or seven years,” said Boyd, who played for Coach Mitchell when he attended Bath.
“When I went to Northside he was there as an assistant and within two years he was the head coach and I was an assistant under him.”
Boyd said what made Mitchell so special was his dedication to his family and his work.
“The one thing you had to like about him was that he was a good family man. He loved his kids and he tried to spend as much time with them as he could,” Boyd said. “At Northside, he cared a lot for the athletic program and worked really hard to make sure the kids had every opportunity to be successful. He treated his coaching staff extremely well, it was like a family.”