Mike White to Florida

[simone84]

Great hire for the Gators.

If he has success there look for him to take over for Coach K when he retires.

White's father is the AD at Duke.

 

[bd98]

Great hire for the Gators.

If he has success there look for him to take over for Coach K when he retires.

White's father is the AD at Duke.

Yeah, yeah. But who's the law school dean at Duke?

 

[Bud Boomer]

Excellent hire. Wanted this guy for seton hall. He's the real "next Billy Donovan." Not the Pat Hobbs variety.

 

[Flnj86]

Yawn!! Did not want to pay more money for Miller or Mack.

 

[simone84]

Yawn!! Did not want to pay more money for Miller or Mack.

Well he's no Kevin Willard but a serviceable replacement for Donovan.

Kevin Willard once bowled a perfect game using a golf ball.

 

[Flnj86]

Donovan is three levels above White, no comparison.

 

[simone84]

Donovan was also one of the top 10 coaches in college hoops.

White has been a head coach for 4 years and turned a bad Louisinia Tech program around.

He's no where near Donovan's level yet, but without question one of the rising stars in the game.

 

[Flnj86]

The Gator site, mentioned White down the list of potential coaches- did not think Florida would get that far down the list, unless they struck out on their other targets or were looking to hire a cheap coach. This came from the people that cover Florida basketball not me.

 

[hallgrad80]

6 year deal for $12 million .

 

[Flnj86]

The Gator site stated that Miller or Mack would require 3 million a year.

 

[setonball46]

Fling86 let's do this grade school style no one likes you go away

 

[Bobbie Solo]

Fantastic hire. Would've loved him for us. I'll be rooting for Florida.

 

[Flnj86]

Don't like facts?

 

[cernjSHU]

Interesting move by Florida. I thought they might go after someone a little more high profile. But, I had him as a possible replacement for Willard. This actually scares me that A big school like Florida did not go after Miller but went for White. I think getting a quality replacement for Willard become tougher. I just don't see us getting a name coach in here.

 

[Halldan1]

Florida announces hiring of Louisiana Tech’s Michael White as head coach
Raphielle Johnson

May 7, 2015, 7:55 PM EDT

AP

After stating earlier this week that his search for a new head coach may not be completed until “sometime in June,” Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley has found Billy Donovan’s replacement.

Michael White, who won more than 71 percent of his games in four seasons as the head coach at Louisiana Tech (101-40 record), has been hired as the new head coach at Florida. The school announced the news Thursday evening. White has experience in the SEC as both a player and a coach, as he played four years at Ole Miss and was also a member of the coaching staff for seven seasons before being hired at Louisiana Tech.

“Michael White is someone who came to the top of our list very quickly and he checks all of the boxes we were looking for,” Foley said in the release. “He is a winner who has a high level of integrity, plays an up-tempo style of play and has the respect of his peers and the basketball community.

“He has experience in coaching, recruiting and playing in the Southeastern Conference and has a strong pedigree. He has a certain authenticity with people and is not afraid of challenges.”

While White did not lead Louisiana Tech to an NCAA tournament during his four seasons in Ruston, he did preside over one of the most successful three-year stretches in program history. Louisiana Tech made three NIT appearances, winning regular season titles in two different conferences (WAC and Conference USA), and won 27 games or more in each of the last three seasons.

White’s teams at Louisiana Tech looked to speed things up defensively, using full-court pressure to force turnovers on 23.7 percent of their opponents’ possessions in conference play last season. He’ll have some work to do in regards to the roster, including making sure that the recruits who have signed to attend Florida remain on board, but this is a step many believed White capable of making after his success at Louisiana Tech.

A native of Dunedin, Florida, White has plenty of connections throughout the state and region, and that will help recruiting-wise moving forward. According to the school, White has agreed to a six-year deal that will pay him a base salary of $2 million per season.

 

[SPK145]

Don't like facts?

Like 30-60?

 

[ArtieLange9]

Most people that I have read, love the move. White is a real up and comer, plus has FL connections.

 

[Burnsly]

He better have FL connections. This is a big step up from LA Tech.

FWIW, Flnj doesn't bother me at all. I admire his loyalty.

 

[Pirate6711]

He better have FL connections. This is a big step up from LA Tech.

FWIW, Flnj doesn't bother me at all. I admire his loyalty.

It's not that big of a jump. Billy Donovan was a much bigger risk when he was hired and it worked out very well. It comes down to whether a guy can coach or not. White has shown a lot in his time at Louisiana Tech and is a good recruiter. Obviously economics factored in, but I don't think they settled at all.

 

[Turiddu]

Record of 30 and 60 is the new 60 and 30
Mullin is a loser
Wojciechowski will never win at Marquette
White has no future at Florida
Real Seton Hall fans drink the kool aid
Top three in the Big East
Deep into the NCAA tournament
Team will not miss Gibbs
The Hall will replicate Hoosiers this year
Yawn at facts and create your own.

 

[Flnj86]

What fan on this message board had a conversation with Jerry Lucas at the 89' NCAA Final Four? What fan was sitting 5 rows from the court, even with the foul line at the 89' Final Four at the Seattle Kingdome? Me. Seton Hall Men's Basketball !!! Looking forward to this season!! NCAA Bound!!!

 

[knowknow456]

Donovan was a risk at the time. He was 30 years old and his experience was limited to 2 (successful) HC years at Marshall and a seat on the Kentucky bench as assistant to Rick Pitino. Despite the obvious comparisons to our own KW, Donovan went on to unbelievable success at Florida. The flip side was in 1996, Florida, despite an uptick under Lon Krueger, was something of a backwater basketball school. UF was unlikely to recruit a completely established coach.

White, has had four very successful years at La. Tech but has never had a team in the NCAA tournament. He has a lot of upside but the difference now is Florida is perceived as a much more coveted job now than 19 years ago. In that sense he is a risk. As a point of comparison, Texas, a similarly crazy football school, landed Shaka Smart, whose credentials are miles better at this stage than White's are.

Personally, I am mildly surprised that Florida didn't pursue someone with better credentials than White. I guess we will eventually find out if it was the right decision.

 

[SPK145]

The Gator site stated that Miller or Mack would require 3 million a year.

Well that's just stupid, Mack makes less than Willard!

 

[Garibaldi]

Danielle De Stasso launches a mammoth three run homer to dead center to take down DePaul (9-5) and advance to Big East softball title game. Go Pirates!!

 

[ArtieLange9]

Again, everything that I have read says that White is a super up and comer. His dad is the AD at Duke. He also turned down Mizzou and another job with his eyes on UF.

 

[PirateSal]

White only has the #1 #14 and #31 rated recruits coming to LSU next fall.

 

[BostonBlackie]

White only has the #1 #14 and #31 rated recruits coming to LSU next fall.

White coached Louisiana Tech not State.

 

[PirateSal]

White coached Louisiana Tech not State.

MY Bad...Yeah I thought that was strange that he would leave after getting a recruiting class like that. LOL.. For some reason I always get those two schools confused. ???

 

[HALL85]

MY Bad...Yeah I thought that was strange that he would leave after getting a recruiting class like that. LOL.. For some reason I always get those two schools confused. ???

must have had a sip of that spiked fjnj Kool-Aid.