I have not posted for a while, but occasionally read. I know everyone is very frustrated, and rightfully so. There are few more vested in the program than me…. so I certainly share the pain. i have been, and remain a Coach White supporter, but even I have been disappointed in aspects of his tenure. For reasons I can’t explain, he has never been able to play the brand of basketball he did at La Tech, and has often missed on recruiting the type players to do so. And, of course, he has been snake-bitten by an injury list that is beyond belief. But White has handled all of it with humility and hard work. I promise you, there are not many coaches as competitive as White, and no one has tried harder to make this work. And his efforts have always been the “right way”. White has competed in a filthy ncaa landscape, and a particularly soiled conference. And he has more than competed…. by most accounts, he has succeeded. But White willingly stepped into big expectations, and even bigger shoes. Those shoes, ironically, were vacated by a legendary coach who no longer wanted to fight the filth. Mike has put up a good fight, and has often won …especially in some meaningful ways beyond the court. In seven years, there has been nary a word of trouble regarding a single player. Not one. He carried a team thru a tremendously difficult time and near devastating tragedy. He has seen three assistants move on to head coaching positions, and several players to professional leagues. And he brought a clean program to 5 straight tournaments and an elite 8. At a lot of places not named “Florida”, such is a strong resume. Coach White had options a season ago, but was convinced he could get the program to where he wants. A season later- it hasn’t happened. I suspect he will have similar opportunities this offseason. And though I am largely speculating, I think it is possible we see him move on. If so, we lose good man, leader of men, honorable coach and person who has done this program proud - in nearly all ways. I think we sometimes lose perspective when we lose games. Let’s not lose our appreciation and respect for someone who deserves more. Signing off…. Brent
I've never spoken a derogatory word about him. Some of the social media stuff is out of line for certain. You simply have to trend better than what his program has during his time here. I for one don't celebrate his shortcomings because I've stated ad nauseam I want him to be the guy. But you just can't show the same deficiencies year in and year out without improvement in those areas of deficiency namely, offense, roster management and SEC play.
I don’t think anyone questions him as a human being, but him being a nice guy can’t be the reason he keep a coach that isn’t meeting expectations. Why is another year going to be any different, when he seemingly can’t recruit a balanced roster or to an identity, that will always have missing pieces preventing the team from being great. Both sides need a change.
I think the fans deserve better. Yes. No one goes to the games because of the poor product on the floor. The city of Gainesville is hurting as well because no one is coming to games. The businesses were booming when we were winning. I was there. Mike is a great human. We need a Coach. Go Gators!
Perhaps fewer go to the games than when the team is winning, but beyond that … I respectfully disagree. I think Billy… and Lon before him… may also raise an objection or two. But I don’t want my thread to turn into an indictment on the fans, so I will say this…. Florida NEEDS more from its program in order to capture, grow and cultivate some fan support. And this is a very loaded statement that I could probably author a book about! Go Gators!
Longtime member and lurker.... Classy post Brent. Always enjoy reading your perspective, and this one was excellent - unfortunately, as you know as well as anyone - nuance, maturity and class doesn't always go over well on social media. I'm grateful for it regardless.
Oh I understand that. I just try to frame it somewhat fairly even though subjective that for some here Billy Donovan shouldn't be the standard although he legitimately raised expectations. I think the frustrating thing for some who like him as a person is that those like myself think some sort of wholesale intervention could get him over the hump. I don't know how plausible that is but it seems that changing the offensive philosophy would go a long way in fixing the other issues. More to the point, he deserves respect even if criticism as well. Class act and he wants to win more than we do. Its not for a lack of effort albeit maybe incorrect methods.
Can’t speak for anyone else, but I have always tried to separate the man from the coach. And have also given him credit for being clean in a cesspool that has the Pearls and Wades of the world in it. But to me, and most Florida fans, “perennial bubble team” isn't succeeding, even if it isn’t truly failing. Beyond that, he has shown only minimal signs of improvement in his offensive philosophy despite years of evidence that it wasn’t sufficient, his in game adjustments haven’t improved in 7 years, we have massive turnover every year even relative to our peers, and the overall results are regressing not improving. There really isn’t a reason to keep him, other than “I’m afraid we can’t do better”. But that can’t be a reason to not try, the program is more than we have seen in recent years.
Great post . . . classy and accurate as always. Whether folks want to keep Coach White, or part ways, I don't see how anyone could dispute anything you wrote.
I love you, aka, I really do, but this seems less like a call for a respect and more of a demand that people stop criticizing the millionaire head coach. Instead, we should focus on criticizing fans for not being appropriately supportive. That just strikes me as a misplaced sense of priorities and accountability.
Sorry you interpreted it as such. My initial post… that “call for respect”…. made no mention of fans. I probably should not have engaged in the follow-up discussion. But I will let my post speak for itself and folks can interpret it as they may.
I'm gonna disagree with this statement. I think, for the most part, a large number of Gator hoops fans knew we had something special in Billy and and we weren't going to replicate that. I don't think expectations of competing for the SEC would be considered big and that is somewhere that Mike White has fallen short at. If the expectations of Gators hoops are of that pre-Billy D then why doesn't the football program have expectations of pre-Spurrier? We know we can compete for the SEC at Florida and we simply aren't. I like Mike White. I want him to succeed. For whatever reason it isn't happening.
The SEC is often arguably the best conference in basketball. Without me offering commentary on the fairness/unfairness of expectations… I don’t think it is disputable that expectations to compete for a title therein are “big”.
For all his support of White, AKA has been a reasonable critic as well. I dont take his post as a shift of blame although it does open up the fan support argument which for me is along the lines of the ole "if you build it they will come" method. We aren't indiana or kentucky. We dont have the history to support mediocre basketball teams. I'm guessing if we had been more of a competitor in SEC play and better at protecting home court the fans will show. How many times have we laid eggs at home? That's not the way to generate fan interest. Players and coaches put their everything into their product. Fans are vested at a much lesser degree but they are still vested whether it be money, attendance, viewership, emotionally etc. Some are more fairweather than others but fans get fatigue from high hopes dashed game after game.
Thank you Brent, your post (Perfectly) Articulates my thoughts and feelings as well. Considering the landscape of College Basketball, I have to wonder if a honest coach has any chance what so ever, to succeed at UF, even with the new "rules". It seems to me the floodgates have been opened to allow the unscrupulous to succeed, with zero restrictions. Have the board of Regents, UF President, AD and prominent boosters all "bought in" to bring high end basketball to UF no matter the financial or moral cost? I'm thinking there may still be some level of hesitation to go "full cheater" at the higher end levels of UF decision making. There are great posters here that think all that is needed to bring UF back to basketball prominence is a new coach. Myself - I am not so sure. I am sure of this, I would rather suffer through .600 ball with CMW than win a title with the Bill Selfs of the world.
Winning titles in the SEC is tough. Sure. Being in contention should be a reasonable goal though even if we fall short much more often than not. Perennially top 3 with occasional off years is a high but fair goal given where the program has been. Outside of Kentucky and Arkansas I don't think Tennessee , auburn, LSU should be clearly ahead of us anymore as far as overall programs. Certainly not after the momentum we had as a program almost 2 decades under Billy. Who knows. Its all opinion. I would guess Indiana felt the same about their status after Knight left but they have rarely achieved much more than mediocrity.
Yes. And my wording was intentional. I did not say they were unreasonable, or unfair expectations. I said they were big. Or as you said “high goals”.
Curious if this mutual parting of ways happens, if there is any way to hold on to the recruiting class. Any chance Pastrana could stay on regardless?
