Former coach Mitchell gets another big day at Brother Rice

Tom Mitchell coached football at Brother Rice for 26 years before retiring in 1993. But he hasn't stopped working with kids. Involved in youth development for the Chicago Housing Authority, his mission is to get kids off the streets and into Chicago Park District programs.

''Over the years, I felt I helped a lot of kids,'' he said, referring to his coaching career. ''Every year, there would be two or three kids who struggled more than others, kids who had problems beyond their control. It made my job worthwhile.''

Mitchell, 67, will be honored for his contributions to his school, his community and the game he loves at halftime of the Brother Rice-Morgan Park game on Saturday at Soldier Field. Last year's honoree was former Fenwick great Johnny Lattner.

In the 1980s, when Brother Rice had to battle strong teams from St. Laurence, St. Rita, Mount Carmel, Gordon Tech and Loyola for supremacy in the Catholic League, Mitchell produced a state-championship team in 1981 and a state runner-up in 1985. In 26 seasons, his teams were 170-95-1.

''My philosophy was to develop kids to the best of their ability,'' said Mitchell, whose son Tim is superintendent of the Chicago Park District. ''It was so competitive in the Catholic League, so many good coaches and players and teams. Any victory was earned. It required a lot of preparation.''

Brother Rice was faced with a unique situation. Unlike some of its rivals, the school didn't offer scholarships to athletes. Mitchell rarely produced a big-time player. His three best were linemen Mark Donahue and Jerry Szara, who started together at Michigan, and Tom Coyle, who also played at Michigan.

''We didn't get the bulk of talented kids on the South Side,'' he said. ''We had to work hard to maximize their ability. The cream of the crop went to St. Rita, St. Laurence and Mount Carmel. We had to be patient. We had to keep building on what we were doing so we would get better as we went along. Eventually, our kids believed they could play with anyone. And they did.''

In 1981, Rice started 0-2 but went on to beat Reavis 14-0 to win the Class 6A state title. The leaders were running back Mike O'Neill, quarterback Joe Clifford, defensive tackles Paul Carberry and John Brady, linebacker Ken Howard and defensive end Bobby Opalacz.

In 1985, Rice was bulldozed 46-0 by East St. Louis in the 6A final. Quarterback Peter Barounes was team leader.

Mitchell, a 1959 Mount Carmel graduate, isn't a stranger to Soldier Field. One of 10 children, he quarterbacked Tom Carey's 1958 Mount Carmel team to an 8-2 record. In his last game, he lost to Fenwick 18-0 for the Catholic League championship in Soldier Field.

''Playing in Soldier Field is a monumental experience,'' he said. ''It's not so much about the coaches as the kids. They float around there in awe of where they are at -- the environment, the experience. At 16, I was in awe of the place. It's hard to believe that you are in the same stadium as the professional athletes that you admired.''