Michael White Basketball coach

[usfrank]

Michael White is current coach at LA Tech and finished with 27-7 record,  losing to Tulsa in CUSA finals.  Playing tonight in NIT vs Iona.   I like his style of play,   just not a "big name coach".   Born in Tampa area, and has recuited in the South when asst on Ole Miss.

 

 

Michael White

Last College:
Ole Miss, '99 Position:
Head Coach Birthdate:
03/02/1977 Email:
mikew@latech.edu

 

 

 

Michael White's pressuring man-to-man defense and fast-paced, dribble drive offense has certainly paid huge dividends for the Louisiana Tech men's basketball team as he enters his third season as head coach after coming off one of the most historic seasons in the program's 84-year history.

With only two seniors on the roster, White and the `Dogs began the season with a modest 8-3 record before going on an unprecedented 18-game winning streak, the second longest streak of the season in all of NCAA Division I, en route to the program's first AP Top 25 national ranking in 28 years.

The Bulldogs also went a perfect 14-0 at home and won eight straight road games in the process, feats that tied or broke previous school records.

The Bulldogs went on to win their first ever WAC regular season championship and advance to the second round of the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) for only the fourth time ever after a road upset of Florida State, only second win ever over a current ACC school.

The season concluded with the second most wins in program history with a 27-7 overall record, one of the many reasons why White became the first Bulldog coach to receive the Don Haskins WAC Coach of the Year honor.

White was also named the District VII Coach of the Year and the NABC District 6 Coach of the Year by his peers.

In his first season as head coach, he guided eighth youngest team in the country as one of the youngest head coaches in the country at 35 years of age to the school's first ever WAC Tournament final after upsetting perennial powers Utah State and top-seeded Nevada.

LA Tech came within 40 minutes of reaching the NCAA Tournament for the program's first time since 1991, finishing 18-16 on the season which was a six-win improvement from the year before.

White already boasts a 45-23 record, giving him the most wins in his first two seasons as a head coach at LA Tech in program history.

Prior to coming to Tech White spent the previous seven seasons on the Ole Miss coaching staff and developed a reputation as one of the top assistant coaches in the country.

A finalist for the 2009 Coaches Award presented by BasketballScoop.com - honoring the top assistants in the college game - White was instrumental in the Rebels' rise to prominence in the Southeastern Conference as he helped lead the program to four postseason berths and a pair of SEC West titles in the past five years. The Rebels won 20 or more games four of the last five seasons.

White was very well-known in the recruiting circles nationwide, especially in the Southern region of the country. He helped Ole Miss land three recruiting classes ranked in the Top 25 in the country by numerous recruiting publications, including the 2005 class that was ranked as high as No. 7 by Hoop Scoop.

In addition to his recruiting responsibilities, he worked closely with the Rebel guards, including helping Terrico White who earned the SEC Freshman of the Year award and Freshman All-America accolades in 2009. Ole Miss had five guards named all-SEC during the last five seasons and eight different guards that made seven or more three-pointers in one game during that stretch.

Prior to his stint on the Ole Miss staff, White spent four years at Jacksonville State, helping coordinate the Gamecocks' recruiting efforts for three seasons. White had five recruits named all-conference in four seasons at Jacksonville State. During his time at the school, Jacksonville State also recorded the winningest season in its Division I history in 2002-03 while also recording the program's first-ever league tournament victory.

A native of Dunedin, Florida, White played high school basketball at Jesuit High School in New Orleans before signing at Ole Miss where he was a four-year starter at point guard for the Rebels in the late 1990s.

During his time in a Rebel uniform, he helped lead Ole Miss to consecutive SEC West Division titles, three straight NCAA Tournament berths and the program's first ever NCAA Tournament win in 1999. He was a two-time SEC Academic Honor Roll selection and a member of the 1999 SEC Good Works Team.

After being invited to the Utah Jazz's summer training camp following his college career, White spent the 1999-2000 season between playing professionally for the IBL's New Mexico Slam and in England before returning to Ole Miss in the spring of 2000 to complete his B.A. in business.

White's passion for and knowledge of college basketball came naturally as he grew up around the game as his father, Kevin White, served as athletic director at Notre Dame, Arizona State, Tulane and Maine. Kevin White is currently the AD at Duke. Michael's younger brother, Danny, played basketball at Towson and Notre Dame, and is now the new athletic director at the University of Buffalo. Youngest brother Brian is an associate athletic director at Louisiana Tech.

He is married to the former Kira Zschau, an all-SEC volleyball player at Ole Miss, who also has a law degree from the university. The couple has two daughters, Rylee and Maggie, and twin boys, Collin and Keegan.

 

 

 

 

[Paisa el Toro]

He was born in Dunedin, FL, so I'd say he's from Tampa Bay, not Tampa.

[South_Florida_Flip]

Certainly sounds like he is worth a look

[TheUpperHand]

They owe us a good basketball coach in exchange for the wonderful football coach we gave them.

[DELdaBull]

Needs a longer resume

[GaUSFBull]

He was born in Dunedin, FL, so I'd say he's from Tampa Bay, not Tampa.

 

Pretty sure that's why he said Tampa area, not "born in Tampa."

[Bear]

They owe us a good basketball coach in exchange for the wonderful football coach we gave them.

 

 

[Guest PCBull14]

I like it. Time to get'em. The guy at Tulsa would be a great pick up as well.

[Triple B]

This city isn't big enough for two Mike Whites ...

[slick1ru2]

Waiting on bcgruber to weigh in, LOL.