By: Mike Still (@mikestill94)
Feature photo: Harrison during his time with the Manitoba Bisons. Photo by David Lipnowski.
The 2019 season will see a fresh face on Dakota Collegiate’s sideline, when North Winnipeg Nomads, Sisler Spartans and Manitoba Bisons alumnus Mitchell Harrison takes over as varsity head coach for the Lancers starting this fall.
The spirit of inclusivity drew Harrison to football when he was a young child and that passion hasn’t left him ever since.
A self-proclaimed “nerdy kid” in elementary school, the sport helped him make new friends while also gaining an appreciation for teamwork and dedication, among other things.
“I really fell in love with [football] because I was super awkward and uncoordinated, and the good thing about football is that there’s kind of a spot for everybody so I was able to find my own little niche. I really liked the brotherhood aspect of the sport.”
A multiple-time provincial team member with the Spartans, Harrison was recruited to play for the U of M beginning 2010. His versatility was — and continues to be — a massive asset as he suited up as both a defensive back and strong side linebacker for Sisler while learning the responsibilities of all the back end players during his time with the Bisons.
Arguably the biggest moment during Harrison’s tenure with the Herd occurred in 2014, as the squad upset Saskatchewan and Calgary in back-to-back weeks on the road to earn their first conference title since 2007 with the North Winnipeg product playing a large role.
Harrison was also a standout in the classroom, receiving Academic All-Canadian status (minimum GPA of 3.5) in five straight university seasons.
“My parents have always been keen on making sure my brothers [Brett and Riley, both also football standouts] and I were getting a good education, and making a backup plan at the very least because you never know when one injury [on the football field] could end it all for you.”
With a passion to coach instilled in his mind and a strong academic standing, it just made sense that Harrison would pursue education as a career path once his playing days were over. It gave him the opportunity to give back to the next generation while also continuing to be involved in football.
Destiny came calling in 2016, as the Sisler alum had the honour of returning to his former high school as a teacher/coach, quickly shifting into the defensive coordinator position.
“It was a dream come true being able to come back and coach at my old school and build upon the culture with [co-head] coaches [Sean] Esselmont and [Dave] DeGrave,” says Harrison.
“I’m just thankful that they gave me such a key role so early on. Lots of schools wouldn’t be willing to just hand over a coordinator role to a new grad, so I’m thankful for that and being able to experiment with a lot of new things and to able to grow as a coach.”
Harrison was quick to mention his time at the U of M as having a massive influence on his knowledge of defensive schemes.
“Being able to experience higher-level football with the Bisons specifically — in multiple positions on the defence — really allowed me to flourish when it came to coaching, because I knew the techniques necessary for all of those spots,” he says.
“When you’re playing linebacker, you also have to have an understanding of what the defensive line is doing, so it all meshed really well.”
Interestingly, Harrison received head coaching offers from a few schools straight out of college, but wanted the chance to learn and grow first. Following the 2018 season however, he knew he was ready but wanted the right opportunity to come.
That opportunity came courtesy of Dakota Collegiate, with the defensive specialist accepting a teaching position [that will start in the fall] and head coaching duties in early June, where he will take over for the highly respected Ray Jarvis.
“By no means was it oh I’m looking to leave,” Harrison noted of departing from his alma mater.
“I really loved my time at Sisler and it was amazing being able to give back to that community and to help out that area. I live in the North End and I’m from that area, so I’m definitely going to miss it.”
Harrison has already met briefly with the team and is looking forward to continuing a strong legacy with a Lancers program that made it to the ANAVETS Bowl two years ago and is a consistent Division 1 contender.
“I’m really just excited to build on that culture and see what I can do. I really don’t know what my own potential is in regard to this or what the team’s potential is. I’m really just excited to continue to bring in high-quality coaches and to hopefully be one of the pre-eminent programs year in and year out.”