Mike White addresses Florida president, athletic director following move

As Mike White was introduced as Georgia‘s new head coach during a press conference, he addressed everyone at Florida who helped him succeed. White was the head coach of the Gators basketball team for seven seasons and had recently extended his contract through 2027. As his future with Florida appeared to be rocky after a disappointing season, White made the decision to take over Georgia’s program after they fired Tom Crean.

Mike White addresses Florida

“I would like to thank at the University of Florida — President Kent Fuchs, Jeremy Foley who initially hired me and Scott Stricklin who’s been very, very supportive to my family and I,” said White on his former school. “It’s a new chapter for us – a new challenge, a unique challenge — one that I cannot express in words how excited I am to attack. Go Dawgs. Let’s go baby.”

In White’s seven seasons with Florida, the Gators had been an ever-present name in the NCAA Tournament. In his final season, Florida finished with a 19-13 record and a loss to Texas A&M in the SEC Tournament. Florida made four straight tournaments before this season, from 2017-2021, and the downwards turn for White’s team appeared to be another factor in his decision to move on from the school.

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White went on during his press conference to explain how he intended to change the culture of Georgia basketball.

“This was a very, very hard decision obviously,” explained White. “But one that we’re incredibly excited about. The community, the brand, the academics, the fertile recruiting base, the history — this is a place we feel very, very blessed to be. Our teams are going to play very, very hard. We’re going to be disciplined, we’re going to be selfless, we’re going to play to win, we’re going to recruit hard, we’re going to coach hard — we’re gonna have successful, productive practices. We’re going to have a family environment. We’re gonna love one another in our program.

“We’re gonna be brutally honest with one another. We’re gonna grow as young men. We’re all gonna be better leaders every day. I believe in the commitment that Josh [Brooks] and President Morehead have to this program. The upside, the ceiling, the potential — and it is going to happen. It is going to happen here at Georgia, and I’m committed to helping them make that happen.”