Just three days after former head coach Billy Donovan departed Gainesville for what might be the last time, Florida has hired his replacement.
The university announced Thursday that Michael White would be the next head coach of the men’s basketball team.
White agreed to a six-year contract with UF that will pay him an average of $2 million per season; Donovan had been making just north of $4 million per season at Florida, and he signed a five-year, $30 million dollar contract to make the jump to coaching the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder.
“I have an incredible amount of respect for the University of Florida, and I am so excited to be a Gator,” White said in a release. “Not only is Florida home for me, but the tradition and success that the Gators have built make this an incredible opportunity. I know about the great home court advantage in the O’Connell Center, which is a testament to the fans and the Rowdy Reptiles. There’s an unbelievable commitment to excellence athletically and academically at UF, and it starts with the leadership of Dr. Fuchs and Jeremy Foley. I look forward to returning to the SEC where I have a lot of great memories, and I can’t wait to create many more alongside The Gator Nation.”
Formerly the coach at Louisiana Tech, White, 38, led the Bulldogs to a 27-9 finish in the 2014-15 season that ended in the Conference USA tournament after winning the regular season conference title.
After a transition season in 2011-12 – White’s first season as coach when the Bulldogs went 18-16 – White went 83-24 over the next three seasons.
White’s wide-open, three-point oriented offense featured six players with at least 80 long-range attempts in the 2014-15 season.
UF athletics director Jeremy Foley announced at Donovan’s press conference that he had been gathering info on potential coaching candidates since the end of the 2013-14 season, but the search intensified recently amidst the rumors of the 19-year head coach’s departure.
“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 a 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.”
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Michael White, 38, was hired by the University of Florida to be the next head coach of the Gators men's basketball team, athletics director Jeremy Foley announced Thursday. White replaces former coach Billy Donovan, who left UF after 19 seasons to become the new head coach of the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder.
