Former Louisiana Tech coach Michael White will succeed Billy Donovan at Florida, the school announced Thursday.
White agreed to a six-year deal worth $2 million per.
“I have an incredible amount of respect for the University of Florida, and I am so excited to be a Gator,” White told Gatorzone.com, the school’s athletic website. “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.”
Yahoo! Sports reported earlier Thursday that White was the favorite for the job.
Dayton’s Archie Miller and Xavier’s Chris Mack had reportedly been the top two candidates to replace Donovan, who left Florida last month to become the head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The son of Duke AD Kevin White, Michael White has gone 101-40 in four seasons at Louisiana Tech, with three straight NIT appearances.
His team went 27-9 and 15-3 last season in Conference USA.
A year ago, White agreed to a a six-year, $3.6 million contract extension at Louisiana Tech.
Florida has four commits for 2015, Noah Dickerson and KeVaughn Allen both planning to meet White and go from there, their coaches told SNY.tv.
