You may never have known his name but you may have seen his face as he sat behind the Duke basketball bench at Cameron Indoor Stadium for 37 years.
Every time broadcast cameras panned onto Blue Devils’ coach Mike Krzyzewski on the sidelines, Steve Mitchell was right there, sitting behind him.
Players, assistant coaches and trainers have come and gone throughout the Krzyzewski era that began in 1980 but Mitchell, who died on June 4 at 62, was always there watching, cheering and cursing along with “Coach” through nearly all of it.
Krzyzewski, flanked by police and Duke staff, walked over to the 5-2 Mitchell, who had Down syndrome, and shook his hand before every home game.