Report: Mike White in the running for another SEC head coaching job

On3 imageby:Steve Samra03/11/22

SamraSource

Mike White could be on his way to a new program inside the SEC. While the Gators head coach has been with the program since 2015, White could leave Florida if the Ole Miss job opens up this offseason.

In an appearance on 1010 AM in Jacksonville, Mark Long of the Associated Press revealed the news.

“I believe the Ole Miss job will open up, and Mike White will take it,” stated Long. “The #Gators will be looking for a new coach.”

While White hasn’t delivered a championship to Florida, his record speaks for itself. The Gators coach is 142-88 in seven seasons at the helm, and has brought the program as far as the Elite Eight in the past. Additionally, White has never finished below .500 in conference play within the vaunted SEC.

Evidently, the Gators coach could be on the move. Time will tell if Mike White jets for Ole Miss, or remains with Florida.

Kermit Davis updates job status with Ole Miss moving forward

Mike White may be interested in the Ole Miss job, but the Rebels program has to have a vacancy for it to matter. Following a 72-60 loss to Missouri in the SEC Tournament on Wednesday, Ole Miss coach Kermit Davis addressed his just that. Davis already found himself on the hot seat following a 13-19 finish to the regular season, and the early exit didn’t help.

But apparently it wasn’t quite enough to be the tipping point. The coach said based on his conversations administration, he expects to return to Ole Miss for a fifth season next year.

“I have conversations,” Davis told reporters. “I’ve got an unbelievable AD. He was a big part of the process with Ross (Bjork) when they hired me 4 years ago. We’ve been to the two postseasons in four years, and I thought we were an NCAA tournament team last year.

“It’s a big boy league, and I get it, but I’ve got a great AD. We’re going to work day and night to get this thing flipped next year, and they’ve given us every resource to be successful at Ole Miss, so it’s right on us. We’re going to go out and put together a roster that the Ole Miss fans can be proud of, and we’re going to be right here next year hopefully playing for seeding in the NCAA Tournament and having a great chance to win a national.”

In four seasons with the Rebels, Davis has compiled an overall record of 64-61. He has led them to the NCAA Tournament only once during that span, during his inaugural season in 2018-19. The coach has more than 20 years of coaching experience, including 16 seasons with Middle Tennessee before he took the job in Oxford. He has a 467-299 record in that span that also includes brief stops at Idaho and Texas A&M.