California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Commissioner Mitch Cox announced last week at the conference's Executive Council Meetings he will retire at the end of the 2022-23 academic year.
Cox was appointed the interim commissioner in November 2017 and became the full-time commissioner in July 2018. During his tenure, the CCAA saw some of its most significant changes in the league's 85-year history, and he also guided the conference through some of its greatest challenges.
"When individuals, other leaders, and the CCAA campuses look back and reflect on how the CCAA has positively evolved, we will see the genuine and professional influence of Mitch Cox," said Cal Poly Humboldt President
Dr. Tom Jackson, Chair of the CCAA Board of Presidents. "His passion for athletics, helping others, making things work, and ensuring our student-athletes had an opportunity not only to compete but succeed in the classroom was incredible. The CCAA is what it is today because of Mitch."
During his five years as the commissioner of the CCAA, Cox strived to protect and enhance the student-athlete experience, increase visibility for the conference and create additional revenue streams for its 12 member-institutions.
"It's been an honor and a privilege to serve as CCAA Commissioner for the past five years," said
Mitch Cox. "After working on campuses for over 25 years, the transition to the conference office was not without its hills and valleys, but thanks to my staff and the dedicated members of this conference, we have met all of the challenges head on. There is still work to do, and the new challenges in front of us are real. But I'm confident that the CCAA will come out on the other end as still the most successful Division II conference in the country."
Under his leadership, the CCAA Championships were standardized across sports, bringing the tournaments back to on-campus sites and increasing participation opportunities. He worked diligently with the conference members to build the CCAA Network (ccaanetwork.com), which features over 1,000 conference games annually, brought all members' games into one streaming platform, and created additional funding for athletic departments. Cox also secured additional corporate sponsorships bringing additional revenue into the conference office.
In all his actions, Cox always kept his primary focus on creating a better experience on and off the field/court for all CCAA student-athletes. During the 2020-21 year when CCAA teams were not competing due to COVID, he helped organize the CCAA Speaker Series which featured nationally-known guests discussing topics relevant to today's student-athletes, including mental health, diversity, equity and inclusion and post-graduation employment. This year he partnered with the U.S. Council for Athletes' Health to provide additional resources for student-athletes and athletic trainers. He also listened to the requests of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and implemented the CCAA Civic Engagement Day two years before the NCAA adopted it as a bylaw. This year, he expanded community engagement opportunities with the CCAACares program, which provides funding to a local non-profit organization in the host city of each CCAA Championship. Social media greatly expanded under his watch, including the largest growth percentage of any conference on Instagram in 2021-22.
Cox oversaw the creation of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee and the CCAA's Athletics Leadership Development Internship program. He focused on professional development, pairing with WeCOACH and creating the mentorship program to give young coaches more growth opportunities. Cox worked hard to increase the pay and create a consistent travel reimbursement for all officials working CCAA contests, and also established a lifetime "gold pass" program for retired officials and the Dr. Bill White Legacy Scholarship for up-and-coming officials.
He is an active member of the Division 2 Conference Commissioners Association, and Cox currently serves as the chair of the West Region's men's basketball regional advisory committee.
Prior to assuming the role of commissioner, Cox spent 25 years in the CCAA. He worked at Chico State from 2002-17, serving in roles as Assistant Director of Athletics and Associate Director of Athletics. During that time, Cox has assisted the CCAA in various capacities: as a member of the Executive Council, on several committees, and many regional and national committees. Before being hired at Chico State, Cox spent 11 years as the Assistant Athletic Director at Sonoma State. Cox received his B.A. in information and communication studies and a minor in English from Chico State in 1981.
"Mitch has devoted his professional career to the CCAA," said Chico State's Executive Director of Athletics
Anita Barker. "His passion for our conference is evident in all he's accomplished during his tenure in the league, both at the institutional and conference level. The members of the CCAA owe him a debt of gratitude for stepping up to lead the conference during a challenging time. During his tenure, he stabilized our resources and staff and implemented a strategic plan. All while shepherding the CCAA through devastating wildfires and a global pandemic. He has effectively positioned our conference for the next chapter. I wish him well in his next chapter!"
Cox will remain with the conference until his contract expires at the end of June 2023. A nationwide search for the conference's next Commissioner is expected to begin shortly.
More quotes on CCAA Commissioner Mitch Cox
Brian Swanson, Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, Cal Poly Pomona
"At a critical time in our conference history, Mitch answered the call to be our commissioner and provided outstanding stability and direction for the CCAA. His unwavering support for enhancing the student-athlete experience and his willingness to serve the membership above and beyond the call of duty is what I admire most about Mitch. His genuine care and passion for moving us forward is a testament to Mitch's work ethic and collaboration with our diverse institutions. I have greatly appreciated my friendship with Mitch for a quarter of a century. I wish Mitch and his family all the very best in their future endeavors. I know he will always be a big fan of the CCAA."
Dr. Gayle E. Hutchinson, President, Chico State
"Mitch began his role as Commissioner at a time when the CCAA was in need of stable leadership. Mitch’s direction and steady guidance, along with outreach to Athletics Directors, strengthened relationships and participation across the association. He showed himself to be a dedicated leader, putting the CCAA on a positive, successful trajectory through strategic planning as an official process improvement. He truly helped enable student-athletes to Make it Theirs, and we are grateful and indebted to him for his service."
Kathy Rogers, CCAA Coordinator of Volleyball Officiating
"When Mitch came on the scene as the interim commissioner, I was thrilled. He was already the SID at Sonoma State, and I knew that he would do good by the conference. We had first met when I officiated the women’s volleyball matches at Chico State many moons ago. He often assisted as scorer of these matches while performing many of his other duties. Mitch has always been an advocate for the officials. As commissioner, he’s promoted an 'Officials Week' during the season, he’s fought for higher pay, and recently he initiated a scholarship program for newer officials to continue their training at a higher level. Because of this and many other facets of his position, he will be truly missed by this Coordinator of Officials."
Corbin Thaete, National SAAC/DII Management Council, Cal State San Marcos
"On behalf of the student-athletes of the CCAA, we would like to extend our gratitude to Commissioner Cox for his commitment to the success of the conference. His knowledge and insight into the modern student-athlete’s needs has allowed the conference to provide an excellent experience for all. His leadership has not only shown to help athletes excel in their sport, but to also perform in the classroom and engage with their local communities. Once again, thank you commissioner, for your dedication to the conference and the student-athletes of the California Collegiate Athletic Association."
Kathleen McGlynn, Coordinator of Women's Basketball Officiating
"What can I say about Mitch Cox! As the Coordinator of Women’s Basketball Officials since 2000, I've outlived four CCAA commissioners. I knew Mitch for many years as a facilities guy at Chico State, and he took a very big leap to leave Chico State to fill the shoes of the legacy originally established by Bob Hiegert. He extended way out of his comfort zone to try to stabilize the future of this very proud and storied conference and gave us "his all". His interest and understanding of the inner workings of the world of officiating and his newly found appreciation for the avocation has been realized in competitive game fees. To remain competitive as a conference includes the ability to solicit and secure higher educated and more experienced officials. Mitch listened and recognized the need. He's been an advocate and strong leader. I'll greatly miss him. Cheers to you Mitch and thanks for our memories!!! Our officials really appreciate your efforts! Enjoy your well-earned retirement!"
Bill Fusco, Former Director of Athletics, Sonoma State University
"Congratulations to Mitch and his family on his retirement! Throughout his career as a collegiate athletic administrator, Mitch Cox was first and foremost, an advocate for student-athletes. In his role as CCAA Commissioner, he always placed student-athlete wellness first. This was evident as he guided the CCAA through the natural disasters of wildfires across the state and the extreme, multiple challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mitch’s leadership, dedication, passion and communication skills served the CCAA and its member schools well during his tenure as commissioner."
Kirby Garry, Director of Athletics, Cal State Monterey Bay
"Mitch was the perfect person to step into the Commissioner role when we really needed a consistent and steady approach. He did exactly what he said he would do in stabilizing the day to day operations of the CCAA. He also guided us through major challenges presented by COVID-19 that nobody saw coming. Fast forward to today and we are well positioned for future success because of his genuine care and concern for student-athletes and coaches. His long and successful career in college athletics has proven that he always has placed student-athletes and coaches first and his service to them has left a lasting impact. I am truly thankful for all he has done for the CCAA and I wish him nothing but the best in retirement."