MEADVILLE, Pa. -- Allegheny College and the Department of Athletics are deeply saddened to share the passing of former football student-athlete and coach, Jermaine Mitchell '11.

Mitchell is survived by his wife, Olivia, and their two-month-old daughter, Maya. A GoFundMe page has been created to help Mitchell's family during this difficult time. For more information, please click here.

"Coach Mitchell was a beloved member of this proud and distinguished program, and had a tremendous impact on his teammates and players who were fortunate enough to have him as their coach," said head football coach Braden Layer. "Our current juniors and seniors were around Coach Mitchell when he returned, and they can speak for hours on end about his ability to connect with everyone on campus and his genuine high character.

"He will certainly be missed."

An All-North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) defensive lineman, Mitchell built a career with more than a decade of coaching experience after graduating from Allegheny in the spring of 2011. He recently returned to Meadville for the 2021 season as the Gators' offensive line coach, and spent the 2022 campaign at North Carolina Wesleyan University in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, as the Batting Bishops' inside linebackers coach and co-special teams coordinator.

A former team captain under then-head coach Mark Matlak '78, Mitchell appeared in 39 games as a Gator from 2007-10 as both an offensive and defensive lineman. During his junior and senior seasons, he helped anchor an Allegheny defense that guided the Blue and Gold to two of their most successful seasons in recent memory. With Mitchell starting on the defensive front, the Gators posted an outstanding 8-2 record in 2009, and he captained the team to a 7-3 season as a senior in 2010.

The Brooklyn, New York, native was recognized as an All-NCAC Second Team honoree following his senior season, during which he accumulated 34 tackles, six tackles for loss, and four sacks, second-most on the team that year.

Mitchell's coaching career began in 2011 at Marietta College as the defensive line coach and video coordinator. He also spent two seasons at Division II University of Charleston in Charleston, West Virginia, from 2013-14. He also spent four seasons on the defensive side of the ball at nearby Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania. In his last season with the Golden Knights, he was promoted to defensive coordinator, and also served as the team's strength and conditioning coach and pro liaison.