 Mitch
Charlens
returns
for his fifth year leading the San Diego City College
Knights men's basketball team. Coach Charlens has
created a winning basketball program at San Diego City
College. In June of 2004 Charlens took over a program
that won only seven games the previous year and had no
returning players. With a month and a half to field a
team, Charlens built a foundation instilling pride,
respect, accountability, solid work ethic, and honor
into each member of his program. Charlens' Knights
finished with an 18-10 overall record (10-0 at home) and
a 12-2 conference record which earned them the 2004-05
Pacific Coast Conference Championship. The team also
advanced to post season play where they went on to reach
the second round of the Regional State Playoffs. In
addition, the team's success brought upon three
All-Conference Player Selections and a Coach of the Year
for All Sports award in the Pacific Coast Conference for
Coach Charlens.
Coach Charlens, a San Diego native, is extremely pleased
that coaching has brought him home. Coach Charlens
played basketball at University City High School in San
Diego. He continued his basketball career at Saddleback
College in Mission Viejo. While at Saddleback, Coach
Charlens helped lead the Gauchos to Back to Back Orange
Empire Conference championships and a Final Eight
Appearance.
Building on his accomplishments in the community college
system, Coach went on to play at San Francisco State
University where he was a starter and team captain.
Coach Charlens had highlights throughout his career and
ended his playing career by scoring 20 points with 5
three pointers against UC Davis, that years’ National
Champion. Once his playing days were over, Charlens
entered the business world. Realizing that was not his
passion, Coach Charlens returned to basketball by
coaching the Varsity Boys at Lowell High School in San
Francisco. The following season he became an assistant
coach at SFSU. He was then brought on as an assistant at
Chico State University before coaching at the College of
the Sequoias for two years. In 2004 The College of the
Sequoias achieved the best record in the state (28-3)
and earned a trip to the California Community College
Final Four.
Coach Charlens earned his Bachelor's degree in
Psychology at San Francisco State University and his
Master's degree in Physical Education at Chico State
University. He resides in San Diego with his wife Erin
(Counselor at SDCC), son Brandon (5), and daughter,
Chloe (3).
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Coach Joe D'Ambro is in his second season as an assistant with
the Knights. The 2007-08 season was his first as an
assistant at any level. In addition to being part of Head
Coach Mitch Charlens' staff, D'Ambro works as a Student
Service Assistant at the SDCC Career Center.