Researching Mike White

White attended American River Junior College, Sacramento, California, and signed with the Cleveland Indians in 1958; his father was a Cleveland scout and coach that season. But White suffered a serious knee injury in a 1958 intrasquad game and his career was nearly ended before it began. Despite constant therapy, he ran with a pronounced limp. White was able to play 126 minor league games in 1959 and 127 more in 1960. During the latter season, he batted .304 with 132 hits for the Reading Indians of the Class A Eastern League. But the Indians released him on December 8, 1960.

However, baseball was in the process of adding four new expansion teams during the 1961 and 1962 seasons. White kept his career going by signing with the Los Angeles Angels' minor league organization for . He moved from third base to the outfield and later became a second baseman as well. After one year in the Angels' farm system, he was drafted by another expansion team, the Colt .45s, during the winter before their debut season. White batted .294 and .324 in successive seasons in the high minors before making his debut with the Colt .45s in September . He collected two singles in seven at bats over three MLB games.

White spent the entire campaign with Houston, primarily as a center fielder, and batted .271 with 76 hits in 89 games. But in, White appeared in only eight games for the renamed Astros, mostly as a pinch hitter. He was hitless in nine at bats and returned to the minor leagues for the remainder of his career. He retired in 1969.

Prior to accepting the job at Florida, White was the head coach of the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs of Louisiana Tech University. As a result of his father's career path, the White family moved frequently throughout Michael's childhood. In 1995, White graduated from Jesuit High School in New Orleans. From 1995 to 1999, he attended the University of Mississippi on a basketball scholarship. After a brief stint playing basketball professionally, White returned to Ole Miss and graduated with a bachelor's degree in Business Administration in 2000. White is married to the former Kira Zschau, an All-SEC volleyball player at Ole Miss, who also has a J.D. degree from the university. The couple has two daughters, Rylee and Maggie, twin boys, Collin and Keegan, and a son, Dillon. White has four siblings, three of whom work in college athletics: Danny, who serves as the athletic director for the Tennessee Volunteers; Brian, the athletic director for the Florida Atlantic Owls; and Mariah Chappell, assistant athletic director for the SMU Mustangs.