Georgia basketball releases statement on head coach Mike White hiring

Shortly after the news broke that Georgia was hiring Florida’s Mike White to be their next head basketball coach, the school released an official statement. The move came as a surprise on Sunday as White was still employed by the Gators, and the Bulldogs had just released their former head coach Tom Crean days before.

Moving across the two rivals, it’s a move both sides will be happy with. Since the initial report, the move has been made official and White will replace Crean, looking to rebuild the program. In an official statement released by the school, White expressed his excitement at joining the Bulldogs’ program. School president Jere Morehead and Georgia’s director of athletics, J. Reid Parker also commented on White’s hiring.

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Georgia welcomes Mike White

“I am beyond excited for the opportunity to lead the men’s basketball program at the University of Georgia,” White said. “President Jere W. Morehead and Athletics Director Josh Brooks are united in a strong vision for UGA Basketball which resonated with me deeply. They believe, as I do, in developing our young men as students, athletes and leaders, as well as providing them with the support they need to be successful. I believe in the limitless future of Georgia Basketball.

“I am extraordinarily grateful to the leadership of Scott Stricklin and to the entire Florida Athletics staff for an amazing experience during my tenure,” White continued. “Thank you to each and every one of our current and former players.  Your hard work, commitment and dedication was and continues to be an inspiration. I will cherish our relationships forever. In addition, the Gainesville community has been wonderful to my family and I. We are truly thankful for our time at the University of Florida.

“To the Georgia Basketball family, friends and fans, I’m ready to get to work. Go Dawgs!”

Alongside White’s statement, Brooks and Morehead both shared their thoughts on the Bulldogs’ hiring.

“We are extremely excited to welcome Mike White and his family to Athens,” said Brooks. “We have witnessed Coach White to be a leader of men, as well as a proven winner with an impressive postseason body of work. We want to compete for national success in all 21 of our sports, and we believe that he is the coach that can build Georgia Basketball to a consistent winner on the collegiate basketball landscape.”

“We are thrilled to welcome a coach with Mike White’s integrity, character and competitive excellence to the University of Georgia,” said Morehead. “He has been a leader throughout his extensive head coaching experience at Florida and Louisiana Tech, and we are confident that he will make a positive impact on UGA student-athletes and our campus community.”

Georgia was only able to win six games this season, one of the lowest in school history. White has a history of making the NCAA Tournament, something the Bulldogs have not done since 2015. He won games in four different postseasons with the Gators but failed to make it any further than the Round of 32. For Georgia, making the tournament again would be considered a success under White.

On3’s Griffin McVeigh contributed to this article.