University of Georgia Athletics
Mike White - Men's Basketball
Mike White
- Title:
- Men's Basketball Head Coach
It was a different type of Selection Sunday for Georgia Basketball in 2022. While the college basketball universe was focused on the release of the NCAA Tournament bracket for “March Madness,” Georgia made significant waves in the news cycle just as the selection show was ending by announcing Mike White as the Bulldogs’ new head coach at 7:54 p.m. ET.
“I am beyond excited for the opportunity to lead the men’s basketball program at the University of Georgia,” White stated. “I believe in the limitless future of Georgia Basketball.”
White, who averaged more than 22 wins per season in 11 campaigns as head coach at Florida and Louisiana Tech, was named the 23rd head men's basketball coach of the Georgia Bulldogs on March 13, 2022. White owns the unique distinction of being named Coach of the Year in three different conferences, securing 2017 SEC, 2015 Conference USA and 2014 WAC honors.
During his first four seasons in Athens, White's teams have displayed consistent and impressive improvement. From the traditional sports information standpoint, you might read something like:
In White's first season, the Bulldogs upped their regular-season win total by double digits from the 2021-22 campaign, the second-largest increase among all Power conference programs.
A year later, Georgia earned its first postseason bid since 2017 and while advancing to the NIT semifinals, reached the 20-win plateau for the first time since 2016.
In 2025, the Bulldogs secured their first NCAA Tournament bid in a decade, doing so while playing a nation-leading eight regular-season games against top-10 opponents.
Last winter, Georgia won a school-record 22 regular-season games, posted a third-straight 20-win tally (just the third time in program history) and earned another NCAA invite (just the fourth back-to-back bids ever for the Bulldogs.
However, the Georgia’s growth from a quantifiably measurable standpoint is even more dramatic.
From the 2021-22 season before White arrived through his fourth campaign, the Bulldogs ascended an average of 183.0 spots among six of the most popular basketball metrics as outlined below
All of the aforementioned culminated with White producing the most wins by any Bulldog head coach in their first four seasons at UGA by a wide margin. White’s 78 victories are a dozen more than the next best tally of Hugh Durham.
White’s entire basketball career has been a model of consistent winning and postseason play.
In seven seasons at Florida before his arrival in Athens, he compiled a 142-88 record while leading the Gators to six postseason bids including four NCAA appearances. In four campaigns at Louisiana Tech between 2011-15, White’s Bulldogs compiled a 101-40 record, won a trio of conference regular-season titles and advanced to three NITs.
As a head coach, 11 of his 15 teams reached the 20-win mark, while four notched 27 or more victories. White’s squads advanced to postseason play during 12 of 14 possible seasons. During another, when the 2020 NCAA Tournament was canceled due to COVID-19, the Gators were a consensus pick for a single-digit NCAA seed.
White’s teams have made solid usage of the opportunities afforded them. Georgia's trek to the 2024 NIT semifinals included impressive road victories at Wake Forest and Ohio State in a three-day span. White was the only SEC coach and one of just five D-I coaches (along with Bill Self, Mark Few, Jay Wright and Leonard Hamilton) to win a game in each NCAA Tournament between 2017-21, headlined by a trip to the 2017 “Elite Eight.” At Louisiana Tech, the Bulldogs won three conference titles – 2013 WAC and 2014 and 2015 Conference USA – and advanced to the NIT quarterfinals in both 2014 and 2015.
White helped five more teams reach 20 wins during his 11 campaigns as an assistant and associate head coach at Ole Miss and Jacksonville State, with the Rebels capturing a pair of SEC West titles. Ole Miss appeared in four NITs during his seven seasons, reaching the semifinals in both 2008 and 2010.
As a player, White was a four-year starter at Ole Miss, including SEC West title teams in 1997 and 1998. He helped the Rebels string together three-consecutive 20-wins seasons from 1997-99, with each culminating with an NCAA Tournament bid – both firsts in program history. White fondly lists his proudest achievement as a player as dribbling out the clock of the Rebels’ 72-70 victory over Villanova in 1999 to give Ole Miss its first-ever “March Madness” victory.
Totaling up the aforementioned, White has been a part of 19 20-win teams during his 30 seasons as a college basketball player and coach, capturing seven regular-season conference regular-season titles and earning 20 postseason bids.
Highly Successful In Gainesville
Florida earned postseason bids in every possible season under White, reaching the 2016 NIT quarterfinals, becoming the only SEC program to qualify for four consecutive NCAAs from 2017-21 and advancing to the second round of the 2022 NIT. Another NCAA bid was undone by the COVID pandemic.
White was voted as 2017 SEC Coach of the Year by both league coaches and the Associated Press after Florida finished second in the league and reached the NCAA “Elite Eight.” He also was honored as the District Coach of the Year by the NABC and USWBA that season. In addition, Canyon Berry was tabbed 2017 SEC Sixth Man of the Year, seven Gators were named All-SEC a combined eight times, three more were named SEC All-Freshman and two were selected for the SEC All-Defensive unit.
Florida recorded 21 wins in 2016, matching the Gators’ record for a first-year head coach. The following winter, White led Florida to 27 victories and the NCAA “Elite Eight.” That two-season tally of 48 wins ranked as the fourth-most in SEC history. Simultaneously, the Gators signed a 2017 recruiting class including three top-10 prospects.
In 2017-18, Florida tied for the most wins over top-25 teams nationally, knocking off six ranked foes. The Gators followed that with a late-season surge in 2018-19. After starting 12-11, Florida finished 20-16 and pulled two more ranked upsets in SEC and NCAA Tournament play.
White collected his 100th win at Florida during 2019-20. His pace of 158 games to reach that milestone was second-fastest in program history only to Billy Donovan’s 154 contests.
The Gators continued their streak of reaching – and winning – during “March Madness” in 2021, which was even more impressive considering Keyontae Johnson, the Preseason SEC Player of the Year, suffered a medical emergency in the fourth game of the season and did not return to action.
A Record-Setting Pace At Louisiana Tech
At Louisiana Tech, White produced the best winning percentage (.716) of any coach in the program’s history as he led the Bulldogs to the Western Athletic Conference regular-season crown in 2013 before winning back-to-back Conference USA titles in 2014 and 2015. The Bulldogs reached the NIT in each of those campaigns and advanced to the quarterfinals in 2014 and 2015. In NIT play, Louisiana Tech recorded a trio of impressive road victories, toppling Florida State in 2013, Georgia in 2014 and Texas A&M in 2015.
White was named WAC Coach of the Year in 2013 and Conference USA Coach of the Year in 2015. He coached the 2015 C-USA Player of the Year, two WAC Newcomers of the Year, the 2014 C-USA Sixth Man of the Year and the 2014 C-USA Defensive Player of the Year. In addition, four Bulldogs combined to earn nine All-Conference certificates during that span.
White’s most impressive coaching effort in Ruston may have been with his first team. Louisiana Tech started 8-10 before going 10-6 the rest of the way and advancing to the championship game of the WAC Tournament. The Bulldogs then went 83-24 over the next three seasons under White.
From Pro Player to Student To Assistant Coach
White was a four-year starter at Ole Miss and helped the Rebels to a pair of SEC West titles, three NCAA Tournament appearances and the school's first-ever “March Madness” victory. He also earned a spot on two SEC Academic Honor Rolls and was named to the 1999 SEC Good Works Team.
After being invited to the Utah Jazz’s summer training camp, White spent the 1999-2000 season 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. The day after his last Final Exam, White made the four-hour drive from Oxford to Jacksonville, Ala., to begin his coaching career at Jacksonville State the next day – literally.
White spent four years at Jacksonville State and helped the Gamecocks secure their first-ever 20-win season in 2003. He then returned to his alma mater and spent seven successful seasons while developing a reputation as one of the nation’s top assistant coaches. White helped the Rebels to four NIT berths, including two runs to the NIT Final Four, and SEC West titles in 2007 and 2010.
Born and Married Into Athletic Families
Though he was born in Dunedin, Fla., White lived all around the U.S. as his father’s career in athletic administration progressed. His dad, Kevin, was the Athletic Director at Duke from 2008 until he retired at the end of August 2021 Previously, Kevin was AD at Loras College (1982-87), Maine (1987-91), Tulane (1991-96), Arizona State (1996-2000) and Notre Dame (2000-08).
Both of Mike’s brothers and one of his sisters have also excelled in college athletics administration. Danny became the AD at Tennessee in 2021 after serving in the same role at Buffalo from 2012-15 and UCF from 2015-21. He played basketball at Towson and Notre Dame. Brian was AD at Florida Atlantic from 2018-26 before accepting the same position at Virginia Tech. Mariah (Chappell), who swam collegiately at Duke, was Assistant AD for Administration at SMU, where she worked from 2017-23.
White is married to the former Kira Zschau, who was an All-SEC volleyball player at Ole Miss and also has a law degree from Ole Miss. They have five children – two daughters, Rylee and Maggie; twin boys, Collin and Keegan; and another son, Dillon.
2025-26 – 22-11 – .667 – 10-8 – t-7th – NCAA Rd. of 64 (0-1)
“I am beyond excited for the opportunity to lead the men’s basketball program at the University of Georgia,” White stated. “I believe in the limitless future of Georgia Basketball.”
White, who averaged more than 22 wins per season in 11 campaigns as head coach at Florida and Louisiana Tech, was named the 23rd head men's basketball coach of the Georgia Bulldogs on March 13, 2022. White owns the unique distinction of being named Coach of the Year in three different conferences, securing 2017 SEC, 2015 Conference USA and 2014 WAC honors.
During his first four seasons in Athens, White's teams have displayed consistent and impressive improvement. From the traditional sports information standpoint, you might read something like:
In White's first season, the Bulldogs upped their regular-season win total by double digits from the 2021-22 campaign, the second-largest increase among all Power conference programs.
A year later, Georgia earned its first postseason bid since 2017 and while advancing to the NIT semifinals, reached the 20-win plateau for the first time since 2016.
In 2025, the Bulldogs secured their first NCAA Tournament bid in a decade, doing so while playing a nation-leading eight regular-season games against top-10 opponents.
Last winter, Georgia won a school-record 22 regular-season games, posted a third-straight 20-win tally (just the third time in program history) and earned another NCAA invite (just the fourth back-to-back bids ever for the Bulldogs.
However, the Georgia’s growth from a quantifiably measurable standpoint is even more dramatic.
From the 2021-22 season before White arrived through his fourth campaign, the Bulldogs ascended an average of 183.0 spots among six of the most popular basketball metrics as outlined below
All of the aforementioned culminated with White producing the most wins by any Bulldog head coach in their first four seasons at UGA by a wide margin. White’s 78 victories are a dozen more than the next best tally of Hugh Durham.
White’s entire basketball career has been a model of consistent winning and postseason play.
In seven seasons at Florida before his arrival in Athens, he compiled a 142-88 record while leading the Gators to six postseason bids including four NCAA appearances. In four campaigns at Louisiana Tech between 2011-15, White’s Bulldogs compiled a 101-40 record, won a trio of conference regular-season titles and advanced to three NITs.
As a head coach, 11 of his 15 teams reached the 20-win mark, while four notched 27 or more victories. White’s squads advanced to postseason play during 12 of 14 possible seasons. During another, when the 2020 NCAA Tournament was canceled due to COVID-19, the Gators were a consensus pick for a single-digit NCAA seed.
White’s teams have made solid usage of the opportunities afforded them. Georgia's trek to the 2024 NIT semifinals included impressive road victories at Wake Forest and Ohio State in a three-day span. White was the only SEC coach and one of just five D-I coaches (along with Bill Self, Mark Few, Jay Wright and Leonard Hamilton) to win a game in each NCAA Tournament between 2017-21, headlined by a trip to the 2017 “Elite Eight.” At Louisiana Tech, the Bulldogs won three conference titles – 2013 WAC and 2014 and 2015 Conference USA – and advanced to the NIT quarterfinals in both 2014 and 2015.
White helped five more teams reach 20 wins during his 11 campaigns as an assistant and associate head coach at Ole Miss and Jacksonville State, with the Rebels capturing a pair of SEC West titles. Ole Miss appeared in four NITs during his seven seasons, reaching the semifinals in both 2008 and 2010.
As a player, White was a four-year starter at Ole Miss, including SEC West title teams in 1997 and 1998. He helped the Rebels string together three-consecutive 20-wins seasons from 1997-99, with each culminating with an NCAA Tournament bid – both firsts in program history. White fondly lists his proudest achievement as a player as dribbling out the clock of the Rebels’ 72-70 victory over Villanova in 1999 to give Ole Miss its first-ever “March Madness” victory.
Totaling up the aforementioned, White has been a part of 19 20-win teams during his 30 seasons as a college basketball player and coach, capturing seven regular-season conference regular-season titles and earning 20 postseason bids.
Highly Successful In Gainesville
Florida earned postseason bids in every possible season under White, reaching the 2016 NIT quarterfinals, becoming the only SEC program to qualify for four consecutive NCAAs from 2017-21 and advancing to the second round of the 2022 NIT. Another NCAA bid was undone by the COVID pandemic.
White was voted as 2017 SEC Coach of the Year by both league coaches and the Associated Press after Florida finished second in the league and reached the NCAA “Elite Eight.” He also was honored as the District Coach of the Year by the NABC and USWBA that season. In addition, Canyon Berry was tabbed 2017 SEC Sixth Man of the Year, seven Gators were named All-SEC a combined eight times, three more were named SEC All-Freshman and two were selected for the SEC All-Defensive unit.
Florida recorded 21 wins in 2016, matching the Gators’ record for a first-year head coach. The following winter, White led Florida to 27 victories and the NCAA “Elite Eight.” That two-season tally of 48 wins ranked as the fourth-most in SEC history. Simultaneously, the Gators signed a 2017 recruiting class including three top-10 prospects.
In 2017-18, Florida tied for the most wins over top-25 teams nationally, knocking off six ranked foes. The Gators followed that with a late-season surge in 2018-19. After starting 12-11, Florida finished 20-16 and pulled two more ranked upsets in SEC and NCAA Tournament play.
White collected his 100th win at Florida during 2019-20. His pace of 158 games to reach that milestone was second-fastest in program history only to Billy Donovan’s 154 contests.
The Gators continued their streak of reaching – and winning – during “March Madness” in 2021, which was even more impressive considering Keyontae Johnson, the Preseason SEC Player of the Year, suffered a medical emergency in the fourth game of the season and did not return to action.
A Record-Setting Pace At Louisiana Tech
At Louisiana Tech, White produced the best winning percentage (.716) of any coach in the program’s history as he led the Bulldogs to the Western Athletic Conference regular-season crown in 2013 before winning back-to-back Conference USA titles in 2014 and 2015. The Bulldogs reached the NIT in each of those campaigns and advanced to the quarterfinals in 2014 and 2015. In NIT play, Louisiana Tech recorded a trio of impressive road victories, toppling Florida State in 2013, Georgia in 2014 and Texas A&M in 2015.
White was named WAC Coach of the Year in 2013 and Conference USA Coach of the Year in 2015. He coached the 2015 C-USA Player of the Year, two WAC Newcomers of the Year, the 2014 C-USA Sixth Man of the Year and the 2014 C-USA Defensive Player of the Year. In addition, four Bulldogs combined to earn nine All-Conference certificates during that span.
White’s most impressive coaching effort in Ruston may have been with his first team. Louisiana Tech started 8-10 before going 10-6 the rest of the way and advancing to the championship game of the WAC Tournament. The Bulldogs then went 83-24 over the next three seasons under White.
From Pro Player to Student To Assistant Coach
White was a four-year starter at Ole Miss and helped the Rebels to a pair of SEC West titles, three NCAA Tournament appearances and the school's first-ever “March Madness” victory. He also earned a spot on two SEC Academic Honor Rolls and was named to the 1999 SEC Good Works Team.
After being invited to the Utah Jazz’s summer training camp, White spent the 1999-2000 season 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. The day after his last Final Exam, White made the four-hour drive from Oxford to Jacksonville, Ala., to begin his coaching career at Jacksonville State the next day – literally.
White spent four years at Jacksonville State and helped the Gamecocks secure their first-ever 20-win season in 2003. He then returned to his alma mater and spent seven successful seasons while developing a reputation as one of the nation’s top assistant coaches. White helped the Rebels to four NIT berths, including two runs to the NIT Final Four, and SEC West titles in 2007 and 2010.
Born and Married Into Athletic Families
Though he was born in Dunedin, Fla., White lived all around the U.S. as his father’s career in athletic administration progressed. His dad, Kevin, was the Athletic Director at Duke from 2008 until he retired at the end of August 2021 Previously, Kevin was AD at Loras College (1982-87), Maine (1987-91), Tulane (1991-96), Arizona State (1996-2000) and Notre Dame (2000-08).
Both of Mike’s brothers and one of his sisters have also excelled in college athletics administration. Danny became the AD at Tennessee in 2021 after serving in the same role at Buffalo from 2012-15 and UCF from 2015-21. He played basketball at Towson and Notre Dame. Brian was AD at Florida Atlantic from 2018-26 before accepting the same position at Virginia Tech. Mariah (Chappell), who swam collegiately at Duke, was Assistant AD for Administration at SMU, where she worked from 2017-23.
White is married to the former Kira Zschau, who was an All-SEC volleyball player at Ole Miss and also has a law degree from Ole Miss. They have five children – two daughters, Rylee and Maggie; twin boys, Collin and Keegan; and another son, Dillon.
| Mike White Career Coaching Timeline | ||
| Year | School | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 2000-03 | Jacksonville State | Assistant Coach |
| 2003-04 | Jacksonville State | Associate Head Coach |
| 2004-11 | Ole Miss | Assistant Coach |
| 2011-15 | Louisiana Tech | Head Coach |
| 2015-22 | Florida | Head Coach |
| 2022-present | Georgia | Head Coach |
| Mike White Head Coaching Record | ||||||
| Season | Overall | Pct. | Conf. | Pct. | Fin. | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana Tech | ||||||
| 2011-12 | 18-16 | .529 | 6-8 | .429 | 5th | |
| 2012-13 | 27-7 | .794 | 16-2 | .889 | 1st | NIT 2nd Rd. (1-1) |
| 2013-14 | 29-8 | .784 | 13-3 | .813 | t-1st | NIT QF (2-1) |
| 2014-15 | 27-9 | .750 | 15-3 | .833 | 1st | NIT QF (2-1 |
| Totals | 101-40 | .716 | 50-16 | .758 | 3 (NIT 5-3) | |
| Florida | ||||||
| 2015-16 | 21-15 | .583 | 9-9 | .500 | t-8th | NIT QF (2-1) |
| 2016-17 | 27-9 | .750 | 14-4 | .778 | 2nd | NCAA Elite Eight (3-1) |
| 2017-18 | 21-13 | .618 | 11-7 | .611 | 3rd | NCAA Rd. of 32 (1-1) |
| 2018-19 | 20-16 | .556 | 9-9 | .500 | 8th | NCAA Rd. of 32 (1-1) |
| 2019-20 | 19-12 | .613 | 11-7 | .611 | t-4th | Postseason canceled |
| 2020-21 | 15-10 | .600 | 9-7 | .563 | 5th | NCAA Rd. of 32 (1-1) |
| 2021-22 | 19-13 | .594 | 9-9 | .500 | t-5th | NIT 2nd Rd. (1-1) did not coach |
| Totals | 142-88 | .617 | 72-52 | .581 | 5 (8-5 / NCAA 6-4 NIT 2-1) | |
| Georgia | ||||||
| 2022-23 | 16-16 | .500 | 6-12 | .333 | 11th | |
| 2023-24 | 20-17 | .541 | 6-12 | .333 | 11th | NIT Semifinals (3-1) |
| 2024-25 | 20-13 | .606 | 8-10 | .444 | t-9th | NCAA Rd. of 64 (0-1) |
| 2025-26 | 22-11 | .667 | 10-8 | .555 | t-7th | NCAA Rd. of 64 (0-1) |
| Totals | 78-57 | .578 | 30-42 | .471 | 3 (3-3 / 0-2 NCAA / NIT 3-1) | |
| Career | 321-185 | .634 | 152-110 | .580 | 12 (16-11 / 6-6 NCAA / 10-5 NIT) | |
Monday, October 19
Monday, October 19
Friday, October 16
Friday, October 16
