Ohio Wesleyan University | Battling Bishop Athletics

Coach Mike DeWitt

[ Mike DeWitt ] Mike DeWitt returns for his ninth season as men’s basketball coach at Ohio Wesleyan University having achieved the goal of returning the Battling Bishops to championship contention in the North Coast Athletic Conference.

Last year, the Battling Bishops went 18-10 and finished third in the NCAC. Ohio Wesleyan defeated Wittenberg twice, marking the first time since the 1949-50 season that the Bishops had accomplished that feat. The second win over Wittenberg also gave Ohio Wesleyan its first appearance in the NCAC tournament championship game since 1990.

The 2006-07 Bishops went 18-9 and finished third in the NCAC. Ohio Wesleyan finished off the regular season with a win over then-top-ranked Wooster, helping DeWitt receive his first NCAC Coach of the Year citation.

In 2003-04, DeWitt guided the Bishops to a 19-8 record and a third-place finish in the NCAC standings. The 19 wins represented the fourth-highest single-season total in Ohio Wesleyan history.

Ohio Wesleyan finished with a 12-15 record and a fourth-place finish in the NCAC standings in 2001-02. That came on the heels of a third-place tie in the NCAC during the 2000-01 season, Ohio Wesleyan's highest league finish since 1992 and the most league wins (10) for the Bishops since 1994.

A 1987 Ohio Wesleyan graduate, DeWitt is only the fourth Ohio Wesleyan men's basketball coach in 60 years, following Bob Strimer (1946-58), Frank Shannon (1958-79) and Gene Mehaffey (1979-99). He is the first Ohio Wesleyan alumnus to hold the position since Branch Rickey's last season as the Bishop basketball coach in 1909-10.

DeWitt came to Ohio Wesleyan from Centre (Ky.) College. During his 3 seasons at Centre, DeWitt's teams compiled a record of 35-40. The Colonels went 12-13 during the 1998-99 season with a starting lineup that consisted of 3 sophomores and 2 freshmen. In 1997-98, Centre was 15-10, its best record since 1993.

[ Mike DeWitt ] Prior to coaching at Centre, DeWitt was the head men's basketball coach at Hiram College. The Terriers went 6-19 in his first season after losing 4 starters from the previous year and improved to 9-16 in 1995-96 while competing in the rugged Ohio Athletic Conference.

DeWitt also served as an assistant men's basketball coach at Kenyon for 2 seasons, helping the Lords to a 40-15 record and a North Coast Athletic Conference tournament championship during that span, and was an assistant coach at Ohio Wesleyan for 3 seasons prior to that. While in his first stint on the Ohio Wesleyan coaching staff, he served as head junior varsity coach, shared scouting and recruiting duties and helped guide the Battling Bishops to a 45-36 mark.

During his playing career, DeWitt was a member of 3 conference championship teams. He was a 2-time All-NCAC selection at Ohio Wesleyan, ranking second on the team in scoring as a junior with 16.9 points per game and third on the team as a senior with an average of 13.9 points per game. He helped the Bishops win NCAC championships in 1985-86 and 1986-87 and an NCAC tournament title in 1985-86. He began his playing career at Wittenberg University and was a member of the Tigers' 1982-83 team that reached the NCAA Division III championship game.

DeWitt earned his master's degree in physical education from The Ohio State University in 1990. He is a native of Galion, Ohio, where he was an all-league selection in both basketball and tennis at Galion High School.

DeWitt and his wife, Brenda, have a daughter, Regan.

E-mail Head Coach Mike DeWitt

Back to the main Men's Basketball page
Back to the main Coaching Staff page