Coaching
Mitchell coached in England, including a stint as England's assistant coach. He was appointed coach of the Chiefs' Super 12 side for 2001, and on 3 October 2001 was appointed as All Black coach through to the 2003 World Cup.
The All Blacks disappointing results in the 2003 World Cup played a part in Mitchell not regaining the All Blacks coaching position when the NZRFU called for candidates for the position. Mitchell controversially dropped Christian Cullen from the All Blacks despite unquestionable form in the Super 12 and only at the age of 27. For this reason and many others Mitchell is not held in high regard by the NZ Rugby public.Mitchell has since taken up the position of the Waikato NPC coach, which he held for the 2004 season, and in mid 2005 was successful in taking up the role of coach for the Australian expansion side, The Western Force, for the 2006 Super 14 competition. In March 2010, Mitchell announced that he would step down as coach of the Force once his contract expires at the end of the 2011 season.
In 2010, he was appointed coach of the Golden Lions for the 2010 Currie Cup. Later that year he was appointed the coach of the Super Rugby side, the Lions.
At the end of 2010 the Golden Lions finished sixth out of eight teams on the Currie Cup log.
On 29 October 2011 it was Kiwi against Kiwi in the 2011 Currie Cup final when Mitchell's Golden Lions hosted a star-studded The Sharks rugby team under fellow Kiwi John Plumtree in Johannesburg. The Natal Sharks team included the full Springbok front row as well as seven more Springboks.
The Golden Lions won the match with 42 points to 16 to win their first Currie Cup Championship in 12 years and also winning their first Currie Cup title on their home field in 61 years.
On 22 June 2012, he was suspended after complaints from Lions players regarding the manner in which they were treated by Mitchell. In November, he was found not guilty of all charges against him and reinstated as Lions head coach. However, a few days later, he quit as coach to take over as a technical adviser at the Lions.
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