Mitch Baryluk brought his knowledge of the game to the Lakehead following a successful career in Winnipeg, where from 1943 to 1952, he played for, and coached, high school and junior basketball teams, including the 1950 and 1951 Winnipeg Stellars, who were two-time Canadian junior champs.

Moving to Thunder Bay in 1952 he contributed his talents as an athlete and builder, helping to grow the sport of basketball from the 1950s through to the 1980s. From 1953 to 1968 he served on the Thunder Bay Basketball Association (TBBA) executive, including two terms as President, and was instrumental in introducing women’s senior basketball.

As a player and coach he was involved with many teams including the Y-Grad Seniors, Laskin Lakers, Dinty's Kentuckians and as a coach of Lakeview High School's Junior and Senior Teams. In later years he got involved with the Thunder Bay Oldtimers and the YMCA Summer League, marking over 40 years of involvement in the sport.

Inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, September 27, 1986