Hawthorn have announced a fresh contract extension for senior coach Sam Mitchell off the back of a promising 2024 campaign.
Mitchell has added two years to his deal at Waverley to now be signed to the club he first joined 23 years ago until the end of 2027.
The Hawks' four-time premiership player and one-time premiership captain led the brown and gold to a semi-final finish after amassing just the seven wins in 2023.
The stellar rise following years of rebuilding since taking the reins from legendary coach Alastair Clarkson saw Mitchell's impact on full display, with Hawthorn ending the year with 14 wins and a September return despite having one of the competition's youngest lists.
โThe influence that Sam has had during his first three seasons as senior coach has been quite significant and we're incredibly excited about the direction of our club with him at the helm,โ Hawthorn CEO Ash Klein said in a club statement.
โHaving seen the growth and development across our entire football program under the tutelage of Sam, there is no better person suited to lead us as senior coach into 2025 and beyond.
โSam's innate ability to teach, motivate and inspire are all key aspects of the special culture that has been established under his leadership, where our players are supported to realise their potential.
โWhile Sam's tactical nous and forward-thinking nature has led to the development of one of the league's most dangerous bands of football.
โAfter returning to September and securing our first finals win since 2015, as a club, we remain committed to continuing on the next phase of the journey we set out on when Sam was first appointed three seasons ago.โ
Mitchell has now coached the Hawks for 70 games, winning 30 for a win rate of 42.86 per cent across his three years in charge.
That tally adds to his 307 games as a player for the club, with the 41-year-old among Hawthorn's best to pull on the jumper this century.
Mitchell's fresh contract was announced on the night of Hawthorn's Peter Crimmins Medal ceremony, with the ex-midfielder having won five best and fairests himself at the Hawks.
