"Sounds like he is trying to change the culture and is getting pushback. Half of the men’s team is new and there will be growing pains with new and former athletes. He also put in place good assistant coaches. No coach will know everything and be liked by everyone. If you do not like his coaching style, then leave the team. Wait for these whinny kids get into the workforce."

"He has turned this program around in the past few years. We have something incredible here, unmatched team culture, 44 man roster, and now we have X boat. Everyone who talks to Bart and actually knows him, knows what he’s really like. It’s impossible to please everyone but Bart has done a fantastic job. He makes himself open but people take his kindness and go behind his back because they know an outsider will only hear “their side” and affirm them. I love this team, I love all the guys, this is an amazing spot to be. I think the best city in the country, especially for Rowing. We have something great going and so much more to come! "

"As a parent, I just want to share my perspective. I’ve rowed myself, I’ve coached, I’ve served in the military, taught kids for years, and I’ve raised a rower — so I’ve seen a lot of different leadership styles. Here’s what I believe: a coach is supposed to run the team. Not every athlete is going to like every decision or every style, and that’s normal in sports and honestly in life. If a coach’s expectations or structure don’t work for someone, they can always step away from the team. That’s part of learning how to adjust to different personalities and leaders, because that’s exactly what happens later in college, work, and life. And as parents, we really shouldn’t be involved in the daily team dynamic at this age. The kids need space to figure things out on their own — how to communicate, how to handle challenges, and how to work through tough days. That’s what helps them grow up and build resilience. A team is never going to run in a way that makes everyone happy, and that’s okay. Coaches make the decisions they feel are best for the whole group. If an athlete doesn’t agree with the approach or doesn’t feel comfortable, it’s always their choice to walk away. But attacking a coach because their style is demanding or different doesn’t help the athletes or the program. This is just my honest take as a parent who’s been around teams for a long time. Last, unless there is clear, concrete evidence of genuine abuse, At some point, we have to recognize the difference between actual misconduct and the normal complaints that come up whenever a coach pushes athletes or holds them to a higher standard. "

"Really down-to earth coach"

"He sadly said " this will be best time of your life, and maybe the happiest basketball you will play for the rest of your life" and sadly he was absolutely right. At SDCC he made us all feel ecstatic about ourselves even though we were at a junior college. Mitch brought all different types of levels in the gym and from the coaches to players to even former players everyone respects the hell out of him. I love him to death he is the reason I am out in California to this day still. "

"Understands what it means to be a student-athlete and puts his players above all. Watch out if he asks you for 15 extra minutes of practice, those 15 minutes easily turn into an hour. Brings his dog to practice, which is cool."