Mike White has 99 victories at UF and a winning percentage of .634 that ranks first in school history for coaches 14 games into their fifth season.
Charting the Gators: White Approaching Rare 100-win Air
Wednesday, January 8, 2020 | Men's Basketball, Chris Harry
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By: Chris Harry, Senior Writer
CHARTING THE GATORS — Century Mark Billy Donovan
Coach Mike White won his 99th game as Florida coach Tuesday night, as the Gators defeated South Carolina, 81-68, to move to 10-4 on the season, including 2-0 in Southeastern Conference play. Next up for UF is a date Saturday at Missouri (8-6, 0-2), where White can become the second-fastest coach in program history — behind only Billy Donovan — to win 100 games on the Florida sideline. White is the only UF coach to win 20 games each of his first four seasons (he's halfway there in his fifth), oversees one of just two programs in the SEC to reach the NCAA Tournament the last three years, and one of just 10 in the country to win at least one NCAA game during that time. Those facts speak for themselves. White, who signed a contract extension through the 2023-24 season last spring, actually reached 200 career wins (he had 101 in four seasons at Louisiana Tech) against the Gamecocks and didn't even know it. "Wow!" White said when told of the milestone. "That was a blur."
So with UF No. 100 on the horizon (if the Gators don't win Saturday, their next shot will be Tuesday night at home against White's alma mater of Ole Miss), here's a look at how White's run toward triple digits compares to the four previous 100-win coaches over the program's 114 years.
Worth noting: White's winning percentage through 14 games of his fifth season (.634) is the best in school history, with Donovan second at .631. "Billy D," of course, had an 8-3 record (.727) in NCAA play through his initial five seasons. White is 5-3 (.625) in NCAA play, though that mark is through four seasons.
