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Comments
Sorry @UGADad20 I left this part out in response to your ”We will never know if or how good White is or could be without making more of a commitment to the program.”
We WILL know because he had the best support structure any coach could have hoped for at UF, not to mention a solid core of ex Billy Donovan recruits to call on, and yet, mediocrity…like @PlateauDawg so eloquently stated, Mediocre Mike was the laziest hire JB could ever make. And once again, Brooks continues to double down on his laziness by throwing unearned mid-season raises and extensions at a coach that has barely won 1/3 of his SEC games, how crazy is that? How about we see how the season shakes out before renegotiating? That would be a novel concept, yes?
Where's DawgNation's GAME COVERAGE of the latest embarrassing blowout at the hands of our HC's former team?! The absence of said coverage is almost as disgraceful as the loss itself.
Apologies if I've overlooked the story, but I sure as hell haven't been able to find it.
@Gramster @1SICemDAWGS1
What mid-season raise are you guys talking about? the article clearly states that the raise was announced in September 2025. It was announced in an article on georgiadogs.com on 9/26/25, and the announcement also included news that the women's tennis, equestrian, and track coaches were also receiving raises. The article also went on to state that all 4 coaches' contracts were being extended to 2031.
Four Georgia Head Coaches Receive Contract Extensions - University of Georgia Athletics
the following was included as the justification for the White's raise and extension:
"During his tenure, Georgia has ascended an average of 181.2 positions among six of the most popular college basketball metrics. In White's first season, the Bulldogs upped their win total from 2021-22 by double digits, the second-largest regular-season increase among all Power conference programs. In 2023-24, Georgia earned its first postseason bid since 2017 and, while advancing to the NIT semifinals, reached the 20-win plateau for the first time since 2016. Last winter culminated with the Bulldogs' first NCAA Tournament bid since 2015 as UGA notched back-to-back 20-win efforts for just the fifth time in school history."
So basically, White received the raise because he had just completed coaching back-to-back 20-win seasons for just the fifth time in school history, coached the team that had the first NCAA tournament appearance since 2017, and Josh Brooks obviously thought the program was improving and heading in the right direction. As @UGADad20 pointed out White is a 3 time Coach of the Year (WAC, C-USA, SEC) with a career winning % of .637. I agree with @RedUga4Ever that the raise was well deserved based on his body of work in his first 3 seasons.
this season is obviously not going the way Coach White would have hoped, but it is not over and hopefully they will rally and qualify for the tournament again. I agree with @UGADad20 that the Georgia basketball team has historically been, and is still behind the upper echelon SEC programs in being resourced. We undoubtedly don't have the money to compete for the big athletic guys who can run the floor, score and defend. and don't get me started on Stegman Coliseum - it was crap when it opened in 1964 as a multi-purpose facility, and it is still crap. My actual first time in Stegman was with my dad for a livestock show in the late 60s. I don't live close enough to go to games, but I can hardly watch on TV because of the poor camera placement which I assume is the best they can do in the old cow barn.
and for Mike Griffith - Why has there been no game reporting on Dawgnation for the last 2 games. Dawgs beat LSU on Saturday 83-71 and we got nothing, and we also got no report on this week's game with Florida? You got time to write this article about something that happened in September 2025, but can't give us current news! Do better!
It seems that you want to see UGA basketball succeed like I do, so I’ll pat you on the back for that. However, don’t think you set me straight. I’ve probably forgotten more about Georgia basketball than you’ll ever remember.
Mike White is the 11th highest paid BB coach in the SEC. He is paid what it takes to hire a 3x CoY and .637 winning % coach. THAT'S THE GOING RATE IN THE SEC THESE DAYS FOR ANYONE WITH SOME EXPERIENCE AND SOME PELTS ON THE WALL. I have no problem w/all caps when an obvious point is being made that seems to be missed.
"As of early 2026, the average annual compensation for SEC men’s basketball coaches is estimated to be over $4M", AI.
You completely ignored the talent component "argument" regarding its impact on coaching success. Again, according to CKS it is "Jimmy's and Joe's". Not enough in Athens to be what you think UGA should be.
"We WILL know because he had the best support structure any coach could have hoped for at UF". No we won't. That was pre-NIL and TP. Whatever he did at FU was in another CBB reality. BTW what he did at FU during his 7 seasons at FU was 4 20+ win seasons and 2 19 win seasons. 4 NCAA appearances and 1 NIT quarter final.
Is White the coach to take UGA to the promised land? The odds are against any coach taking UGA to the promised land as the program is currently comprised. Again that's the point. Only 7 active CBB coaches have won a championship. The entire UGA bball program has been mediocre for 30 years. One could argue that White has done more with less than many of his predecessors.
@David1 "I’ve probably forgotten more about Georgia basketball than you’ll ever remember." Doubtful. But what is to remember? Over the last 30 seasons UGA made the big dance 7 times and past the round of 64 twice. What happened before that is ancient history and completely irrelevant to the UGA CBB '26 conversation.. After 'Nique, Vern, Louis Williams (you remember him?) and Edwards there is not a lot to remember. As for basketball, Shooter (from Hoosiers) once said, "I know everything there is to know about the greatest game ever invented". Me too.
@JunkyardDawgs78 well said. Always nice to see some history and FACTS added to the conversation.
@PlateauDawg McMillian is better supported at aTm and less proven. aTm rolled the dice and took a chance. I wouldn't predict anything from his lone 3/4 yr at aTm yet. And he was NOT taking the UGA job over aTm. Beard is the 9th highest paid CBB coach in the country. MS is 11-13 in '25/'26. 11-13 tells me he is a good coach but it's also about the "Jimmy's and Joe's". Byington seems like a steal for Vandy. Though Vandy got no further last year than UGA did in the NCAA. Vandy will have to pony up a raise for Byington soon or lose him. In his 10 yrs before Vandy he had 2 postseason bids. It is interesting you mentioned SunBelt Billy. McMillian and Byington were SunBelt Billy type roll the dice hires.
Mike White is not "my boy". As I look down the list of UGA bball coaches White is as good as any coach UGA has had since the 1950's (sans Tubby Smith). Think about that. That tells you all you need to know about UGA's commitment to basketball excellence. That ain't on Mike White.
@UGADad20 wrote “You completely ignored the talent component "argument" regarding its impact on coaching success.”
No one “ignored” anything, simply because one’s opinion on a subject differs from yours certainly doesn’t constitute being ignored, but hey, if beating your chest is your fancy, have at it. My opinion regarding the talent component was simply that Mediocre Mike has more former 4stars on roster than two thirds of the current Top25 ranked teams have (Santos, Cain, Ross, Stagg, Catchings, James, Wilkins, Wilkinson as a transfer), and more to addressing your pov, it isn’t the talent disparity that is so bothersome, it’s the constant fundamental breakdowns that are. Simple things like setting picks, getting back on defense, blocking out on the boards, not getting dominated on the boards because you want to fast break the other way, cutting down on turnovers, giving up uncontested shots…oh, and did I mention making a layup for 2 points with 1 second left on the clock and you’re trailing by 3 or watching your opponent score 15 unanswered points and not calling a timeout because aTV timeout is only minutes away…the coaching is atrocious, that’s the point. But by all means keep hiding behind that talent disparity argument, it’s all the Mike White excuse makers have left to hang their hats on in year 4 of a contract. Mediocre Mike continues to build 20 win seasons on early season cupcakes, it only took FU 7 years to catch on, how long before you do?
@UGADad20 said “The odds are against any coach taking UGA to the promised land as the program is currently comprised. Again that's the point.“
I’ll simply answer that with …in spite of the old and worn out “ doing less with more since1980” we now can proudly say back to back champions…somewhere out there another Kirby is sitting in the assistant basketball coaching ranks waiting for a dream job like Georgia. And yet all we can find are other programs band members downs…for 4M a year.
are other programs hand me downs…dmmm sp ck!
Thank you for setting the record straight @76junkyarddawg I try to pay attention to detail but certainly missed the raise was announced in September part. I humbly eat crow now, cheers mate.
@UGADad20 Mike White is not "my boy". As I look down the list of UGA bball coaches White is as good as any coach UGA has had since the 1950's (sans Tubby Smith). Think about that. That tells you all you need to know about UGA's commitment to basketball excellence. That ain't on Mike White.
I assume you are trolling now…bc there can’t be anyone outside of Mediocre Mikes immediate family that would put him in the same category as a coach that took 2 programs to the final four(Durham) or one that won a nat championship(Harrick).
Not trolling at all. Durham's winning % at UGA was 58. Harrick's winning % at UGA was 41 primarily do to the 30 wins he lost due to sanctions UGA got for NCAA violations. Remember the basketball team taking classes with test questions like "How many halves are in a CBB game?" White's winning % at UGA is 52.
Durham had Wilkins, Fleming, Fair and other's in a time where CBB was nowhere near as competitive or difficult to win as what we see these days. In Durham's 18 seasons at UGA he made the NCAA 5 times. In a reduced field. His team's were knocked out in the 1st or 2nd rd 4 times (out of 5 tries).
"Jim Harrick was forced to resign as the University of Georgia (UGA) men’s basketball coach in March 2003 following a major scandal involving academic fraud and NCAA violations".
I thought at UGA we try do things the right way according to the rules?
I think that levels the playing field between White's results and his predecessor's results.
@Gramster "My opinion regarding the talent component was simply that Mediocre Mike has more former 4stars on roster than two thirds of the current Top25 ranked teams have" There are roughly about 150 5* and 4* basketball players that come out of HS every year. I believe most teams have their share of "4*'s". Same as UGA. This is proven every year by all the players in football and basketball that move from smaller schools to more prominent programs every TP window. Many teams, it seems especially UGA, have to completely restock their basketball teams every off season because of the TP. That alone makes bball success more difficult in this new era. Continuity and teamwork play a big part in bball success. More commitment from the school for facilities and NIL would stabilize the program and assist in talent retention. Regardless of the coach.
And the last 3 years CKS had the highest blue chip ratio in CFB yet failed to win a single CFB playoff game. Why the double standard?
Yup there MAY be another up and coming assistant coach SOMEWHERE that would love to take the UGA job with all its limitations and deficiencies. So you are saying that assistant bball coaches of the quality of CKS are out there all over CBB waiting to be plucked? And here I thought that CKS was a special talent and not commonplace. UGA hasn't found him. Blame the football and revenue focused AD for showing the basketball program the same level of neglect it always has. Don't blame White for doing what he can with what he has. BTW, FU thought they had the up and coming assistant waiting for his dream job when they hired SunBelt Billy. Those situations seem to miss more than they hit. UGA went with an experienced choice that is pushing for his 3rd 20 win season in 4 seasons. UGA went the safe easy route and haven't stepped up to give the coach much more than the minimum needed to be successful.
Not beating my chest at all. Just providing a little depth to a conversation that was ignoring the facts about the UGA basketball program. Looking down the list of UGA coaches and their coaching records while at UGA , the history of UGA men's basketball is absolutely abysmal.
Maybe it is because UGA hired 12 mediocre coaches since 1950? Or maybe the problem is a deeper, systemic issue with how UGA views, funds and facilitates its basketball program.
"it’s the constant fundamental breakdowns that are. Simple things like setting picks, getting back on defense, blocking out on the boards, not getting dominated on the boards because you want to fast break the other way, cutting down on turnovers, giving up uncontested shots…oh, and did I mention making a layup for 2 points with 1 second left on the clock and you’re trailing by 3".
Setting picks. Setting picks is more about player size and skill than coaching. UGA lacks size.
Defense. Defensive prowess is a function of player skill, size, determination and athleticism.
Boards. Function of player size, determination and strength. See "UGA lacks size".
Fast Break. UGA was leading the country in scoring during this season. Fast break was their way to win games vs grind it out offense vs superior experience and talent levels.
Turnovers. Function of player skill. UGA's backcourt is substandard size, strength and talent wise, to most SEC teams.
And yes you did mention getting a lay up at the buzzer when trailing by 3. Multiple times. As I said I saw the play. The D was stacked for the 3 pt line. There was no 3 point shot available because of the D. The UGA guard was running out of time and did what he could do which was try to draw a foul. Team's lose games. Other team's have good players too. Yup that loss squarely on the coach because we know all 20 year old basketball players execute the final second play perfectly every time at the final buzzer. SMH.
I don't get it….but I'm not cutting the checks. He's an "ok" coach. But they seem to tank late Jan recently. Get by a few rounds of the SEC Tourney would be nice.
@UGADad20 You can’t have it both ways.how did Hugh lure Nique & Fleming etc ? You’ve spent 3 days telling everyone that no good coach nor talented players would ever set foot in Athens So how did that happen ? How did we hire a coach that had taken a team to the final four ? Or won a nat championship? Maybe they saw the potential that is UGA basketball? And Harrick gave a kid $300 to buy a TV. That’s it. Made what went on in the football program look like childs play. But the admin threw him under the bus.
Durham took over 2 programs with no history and took them to the final four(FSU & UGA). White took over a program where the previous coach won two nat titles and only made it out of the 1st weekend once(2nd year with Donavans players). Other than that an abject failure of a coach. If you those two things are equal then you gotta get off the drugs
@UGADad20 wrote "Yup that loss squarely on the coach because we know all 20 year old basketball players execute the final second play perfectly every time at the final buzzer. SMH."
You do know that Georgia had the ball with 15 seconds left, yes? And yet, they settled for a last second layup and a "hope for foul"…that's some mighty fine coaching right there, yes sirree…
@PlateauDawg wrote "White took over a program where the previous coach won two nat titles and only made it out of the 1st weekend once(2nd year with Donavans players)."
He got himself another COY award with Donovan's players to boot but no matter how many times we bring that point up, instead of addressing it @UGADad20 circles around to the pss poor facilities, pss poor b-ball commitment and pss poor talent. I guess it is simply time for all of us to agree that Mediocre Mike is the greatest mediocre hire in the mediocre world that is Georgia Basketball and be grateful we have him. Cool, sign me up…let's revisit this in 5 games, shall we?
You are in error. I never said "no good college coach nor players would ever set foot in Athens". No very good players are going to come to Athens without more of a commitment to basketball NIL and facilities. NOW. UGA could have better players any time they want. Just have to pay up for them. Like it does in football. When was the last time (besides 1 and done Edwards) UGA recruited Top 10 State of GA HS players? State of GA has some elite HS players. They rarely go to UGA. White's time at UGA has coincided with NIL. We are now seeing UGA lose elite State of GA HS football players regularly because of NIL. And UGA/elite coach CKS haven't won a playoff game in 3 yrs.
Are you comparing CBB in 2026 to CBB in 1983? 40 + years ago? Really? Totally different world in CBB now vs then. My guess would be Durham got Wilkins & Fleming etc to come to Athens by paying them under the table. More than other people were willing to pay (i.e. NIL).
Neither coach you mentioned won a championship at UGA. The program in question. UGA has traditionally had an underachieving basketball program. And apparently everyone is okay with that because it hasn't changed in 30 years. That's the point.
"Jim Harrick was forced to resign as the University of Georgia (UGA) men’s basketball coach in March 2003 following a major scandal involving academic fraud and NCAA violations". Way more than a $300 TV. Selective memory? Even if you add in Harrick's vacated wins at UGA his winning % is still less than White's. He had his success at UCLA with multiple future NBA players. Didn't have that at UGA and couldn't duplicate his UCLA success (Jimmy's and Joe's). He couldn't even duplicate that at UGA while being dirty. You must be a bottom line guy. The end justifies any means. Harrick never worked as a head coach again in CBB after what went down at UGA. You may call him a good coach. I wouldn't. He was dirty. Also fired at UCLA for violations.
As for Durham AT UGA your record says what you are. He had a good run in the early '80's with some elite players. Overall, he won 58% of his games at UGA and made 5 NCAA's in 18 seasons during a much easier era. White has won 52% of his games at UGA. Okay you got me. Durham is a 6% better coach who had Dominique Wilkins on his team for 3 years.
@Gramster "He got himself another COY award with Donovan's players to boot but no matter how many times we bring that point up". Sorry Charlie. Wrong. You really need to do a little research. You look bad. Donovan's last team was '14-'15. That team failed to make the NCAA with a 16-17 season record. White's FU CoY team was '16 - '17 season. There were 4 players that were common to both teams. Only 2 of those players played in the NBA. One for 8 games. The other for 91 games where he averaged 3.3 ppg. Yup White really inherited some elite Donovan players. Good try though.
"You do know that Georgia had the ball with 15 seconds left, yes? And yet, they settled for a last second layup and a "hope for foul"…that's some mighty fine coaching right there, yes sirree…" Last time I looked Mike White was not the 5'10" transfer from UTSA that took the inbounds pass and tried to make the play.
I guess it was terrible coaching by CKS when the ND DE beat Freeling, **** sacked Stockton and ND scored on the next play. I can tell you didn't major in Logic.