Report: Florida Gators HC Mike White Leaves for Georgia

Mike White leaves the Florida Gators after seven seasons to join UF's biggest rival.

The Mike White era in Gainsville has come to a close.

The Georgia Bulldogs are hiring Florida Gators head basketball coach Mike White to the same position, as first reported by Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports.

Just three days following the Gators' untimely second-round exit from the SEC tournament to Texas A&M to finish their season 19-13 (9-10 SEC), Florida is expected to see their head coach, who garnered mixed emotions from the fan base, heading to their stateline rival Georgia.

White, who spent seven seasons with the Gators and tallied a record of 142-88, earned his way into the NCAA Tournament four times while at the University of Florida.

However, his shortcomings came as a result of the expectations his predecessor Billy Donovan set during his stint at Florida. Under his tutelage, the Gators failed to surpass the elite eight in the tournament. 

The failure to find sustained success on the offensive side of the basketball was a major factor in that reality.

Enduring a much-maligned past three seasons at the University of Florida, with a large section of the fanbase calling for his firing due to underperforming expectations, White's departure looks to be a mutually beneficial move for both sides.

He will replace Tom Crean, who was fired on Thursday after a 47-75 record in his four seasons at UGA.

For Georgia, the Bulldogs get a fresh face in charge of the program with the hope to turn around a struggling basketball program that won just six games in 2021-22. He has the potential to bring structure and stability as a genuine recruiter and defensive-first head coach to a Georgia program that has struggled to find success in the SEC in the past few seasons.

The Gators will now begin their hunt for a new head basketball coach.

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