Head Coach Candidates for the Florida Gators to Replace Mike White
The Florida Gators search for a head coaching candidate is officially underway after Mike White unexpectedly departed to Georgia just three days following a loss in the second round of the SEC Tournament to Texas A&M.
Entering a market that presents a bevy of candidates to assume the head role for the Gators going forward, the University of Florida Athletic Director Scott Stricklin is slated to endure his second coaching search in less than five months.
As a result, AllGators presents a big board of five potential suitors (in no particular order) to assume the open position in Gainesville and an in-depth analysis of each candidate.
That's followed by a list of honorable mentions that could sneak their way into conversations but present tall hurdles Florida would have to – or be willing to – jump in order to obtain their services.
Top Five Coaching Candidates
Matt McMahon (Murray State)
If Florida looks to pluck away another high potential coaching talent away from a mid-major the way it did when replacing Billy Donovan with Mike White, Murray State's Matt McMahon will sit comfortably atop that list.
However, unlike White, who was focused on wreaking havoc with pressure defensively, McMahon-coached teams are known for creating excitement via fluid and up-tempo offense.
Coaching the Racers for seven seasons, McMahon has tallied a 153-66 record, four regular-season conference championships, three OVC tournament championships and three March Madness appearances.
His best season came this year, earning a career-best 30-2 record and winning the Ohio Valley Conference to lead Murray State into the tournament as a No. 7 seed. This comes just one year removed from a lackluster season at 13-13.
He was recognized for his excellence, earning the OVC Coach of the Year this season.
Much to the delight of Gators fans, McMahon's touch would likely rid Florida of the dreaded scoring droughts and low scoring affairs that have become a norm by pairing explosiveness in transition and off-ball screen to free up shooters from beyond the arc with consistency.
That was on full display with Ja Morant leading the attack for McMahon's offense in 2018-19.
The idea of targeting another mid-major coach to run the program will be received with mixed emotions. But, McMahon's track record at Murray State and the thrilling style of play would inject a much-needed spark into the program.
Scott Drew (Baylor)
It seems like a pipe dream for Florida to lure away a long-tenured head coach heading into the NCAA Tournament as a one seed for the second season in a row trying to become the first back-to-back champion at Baylor.
Despite Scott Drew's affiliation with the Bears since 2003 – when he inherited a program swirling with controversy – he continues to arise amongst candidates for notable vacancies across the college basketball landscape.
Could those rumors be circulating to entice Baylor to lock him down in Waco, Texas, with a considerable salary increase? Sure. However, suppose the Gators are serious about reigniting a program and fanbase that has grown stagnant in the later years of the White regime. In that case, Drew should be one of the first numbers they dial in what is slated to be a thorough interview process.
Possessing an impressive track record, a history of exceeding expectations and experience rebuilding a broken program (although Florida doesn't even compare to what he walked into at Baylor), Drew fits the criteria of what the Gators need to reassert themselves atop the
His upbeat style, on and off the court, matches "the UAA's vision of providing a championship experience with integrity" that Stricklin and colleagues will look for in their pursuit.
Obviously, it would take a lot to pluck Drew away from the successful situation he's currently in but swinging for the fences to potentially obtain one of the lone coaches with a championship ring on his finger open to a change of scenery is a shot Florida has to take.
Jerome Tang (Baylor Associate Head Coach)
If you can't get the main man, then you better get his guy.
If Drew refuses the offer, Florida should ask him to redirect the call to the fast-rising Jerome Tang.
Spending all 19 seasons of Drew's tenure at Baylor as the right-hand man to his efforts, Tang has quickly become a hot commodity when discussing coaching vacancies around the country.
The chances they reach two decades together grow increasingly slim.
As things stand, if Drew elects to depart for more elsewhere, Tang would step in as the next man up for Baylor given the valuable impact he provides as an in-game coach, player developer and reliable recruiter. However, if Drew decides to stay in Waco, Tang will be the one packing his bags.
Currently linked to openings at Missouri, Kansas State and even LSU, Tang will likely cash in on an opportunity to lead his own program following the Bears' attempts to go back-to-back in the NCAA tournament this postseason.
Florida is a school that could insert itself as a top contender for the talented assistant as the program currently sits more favorably compared to the others ready to line up at Tang's doorstep.
Despite never operating as the head coach at the collegiate level, Tang's extensive time with Drew during the drastic rebuild at Baylor suggests that he has played a vital role in their success and gained valuable insight into what it's like to run a program.
As a result, Tang has received the most attention of any assistant as teams assess their options for the next head coach. In the eyes of those around college basketball, including myself, he possesses the highest ceiling for any of the coaches on this board. Still, he falls into the more risky category given his experience – or lack thereof.
That shouldn't deter Florida from reaching out to the long-time Big 12 coach.
Kelvin Sampson (Houston)
If Florida could enter the market and snag whoever it wanted to assume duties as head coach next season, this would be my top choice.
In the past decade-plus, the ultimate comeback story in college basketball belongs to Kelvin Sampson's resurgence with the Houston Cougars.
Once exiled from the collegiate game for recruiting violations while at Indiana, Sampson returned after five years away to assume duties at Houston. He has not only redeemed the Cougars program but cleaned his slate in the eyes of the NCAA to redeem his reputation as one of the top coaches at the level.
Now, as he stares another chance to make a run in the NCAA Tournament in the face, Sampson will look to complete the climb to the mountain top from the lowest of lows to the highest of highs.
Earning a 621-296 record in 29 years as a head coach at the collegiate level, Sampson is as good as they get when building a consistently good product on the court.
He has won at every stop he has been to – including time with Washington State, Oklahoma and the Hoosiers – but has been eluded by the coveted national championship title.
Sampson is in a similar position to Drew. He isn't in a place to leave the current spot he's in because, well, he's winning. There's no reason to take the risk of stepping away from the thriving atmosphere he has created to take on a new challenge where he has the potential to crash and burn.
However, reaching what are probably the closing years of his career at 66, Sampson could like what Florida has to offer as he continues to search for his first championship in his coach career.
Would it take a lot to build the team to compete at a championship level in a short period? Yes, but Florida has shown they are more capable of doing so than Houston, a program that has made the title game twice but came away unsuccessful both times.
As a result, the Gators reach out and should make him say no.
Brad Underwood (Illinois)
The reality of targeting an established and successful veteran in the most competitive conference in college basketball at the moment is intriguing for any program searching for a coach.
As he's proved before, Illinois head coach Brad Underwood isn't afraid of making a jump if bigger and better things are presented.
After leaving Stephen F. Austin in 2016 for Oklahoma State, he was again on the move after just one season with the Cowboys, leaving for Illinois. In doing so, Underwood showed that a potential upgrade is never off the table.
Staying with the Fighting Illini for five seasons, he has found substantial success in Champaign (Ill.), tallying a 93-65 record and heightened success in the last two seasons with back-to-back tournament appearances.
Despite burning out in the tournament last season, Underwood's squad was arguably the most dominant team in the NCAA alongside Gonzaga last regular season on the backs of dominant big man Kofi Cockburn and guard Ayo Dosunmu. In 2021-22, Illinois took a step back in a crowded Big Ten but was awarded the regular season crown again.
His resume, style of coaching and ability to win in his last three destinations are reasons for Florida to put him in its crosshairs.
Underwood has the potential to bring a drastically different style to the Florida head coaching position, possessing the fiery and passionate on-court personality that commands his team vocally from the sideline.
However, the Gators would likely have to outbid Underwood's alma mater of Kansas State for his services.
While it seems that Underwood would like to stay at Illinois for now, the possibility of an unexpected move to the Sunshine State wouldn't be off the table if the price is right. It never hurts to ask – and talk numbers – if you're Florida.
Honorable Mentions
Rick Pitino (Iona)
The name many of you have been waiting for.
If one individual has had his name pop up for every single coaching vacancy in the past few years, Rick Pitino is that guy, and for a good reason.
Likewise, he'll become a topic of conversation, as he should, for those deliberating about the future of the basketball program.
Pitino has shown his ability to turn stagnant programs into college basketball blue blood, holding an 807-284 record, 22 NCAA tournament berths, seven Final Four appearances, and two national championships next to his name.
Most notably with his 24 years combined at Kentucky and Louisville.
As a result, former Louisville head coach is probably the most qualified for the Gators job – and any around the country for that matter – but the baggage he carries following a scandal during his time with the Cardinals will likely eliminate him from the search, according to the limited information Stricklin has provided about the criteria for the next representative of the program.
He's an all-time great basketball coach, but his shady resume will be a deal-breaker for those in charge at UF, despite the evident upgrade he'd be from a purely coaching standpoint.
However, if you want to experience Pitino in action, he is slated to travel to Gainesville on Wednesday as the Gators take on Iona in round one of the NIT.
Hopefully, that's enough to hold you over.
Greg McDermott (Creighton)
Here's a fun one to think about, although the most far-fetched.
Greg McDermott will likely never leave the well-oiled machine he has created during his time at Creighton.
The Blue Jays are a perennial tournament out of the Big East, and the McDermott name is deeply rooted in the program's well-regarded history in the last decade.
Having said that, if I'm being candid, Creighton's best chance at realizing the improbable feat of a national title came and went when Doug "McBuckets" McDermott (one of Greg's two sons) was lighting up college basketball in the 2013-14 season.
Sure, it has remained afloat since his departure to the NBA, but the window for Creighton to reign atop the league has come and gone.
The Blue Jays have failed to obtain even a conference title in the Big East despite four tries and sit in limbo as a good team that can't elevate themselves past the great teams the way conference foe Villanova has despite the head coach's ability to keep the program in the constant cycle of relevance.
Is the thought of coaching on a higher stage enticing to McDermott? It hasn't seemed that way in the past, but could Florida play on the reality that he's reached his ceiling in Omaha (Neb.) to find their next head coach?
The phone call could be ended with a quick "no." But, it's worth the shot to offer McDermott the opportunity to take a step upward to pad an already strong legacy at a program that, when at its peak, isn't just a yearly tournament team, it's a legitimate contender in a surging SEC and field of 68, respectively.
Al Pinkins (Florida)
Cue the boos. I know, I know. It's not the fun, exciting hire people are expecting – or at least hoping – the Gators will make to rejuvenate an increasingly apathetic program and fanbase.
Mike White just departed to assume a vacancy at one of Florida's major rivals, and I am writing about the possibility of hiring one of his disciples after years of underperforming relative to expectations. I understand.
Nevertheless, Pinkins' familiarity with the program could provide the Gators an easy out to avoid a long, drawn-out search process – even though that may be what they need at this point.
When he arrived in 2018, Pinkins assumed a frontcourt-focused role as the Associate Head Coach on the Gators staff. Serving as White's right-hand man and is a former recruiting coordinator in the SEC, Pinkins presents traits the Florida UAA will look for.
He has shown his worth as both a player developer, considered a large factor in center Colin Castleton's development since his transfer from Michigan, and a recruiter.
However, the main contributor for his appearance on this honorable mentions list is, unlike the other candidates, Pinkins will receive an on-the-job trial period as the interim head coach for the Gators NIT play starting on Wednesday at 9 p.m.
An offer to assume head coaching duties at UF would likely be dependent on how he handles the spotlight in the win-or-go-home format. Florida's play, along with his in-game adjustments, utilization of rotation and more, could allow him to increase his case a fix.
As of now, that feels unlikely.
Jordan Mincy (Jacksonville)
Cue the boos, again. As I stated in the Pinkins section, many Gators fans will not want to patch the opening with a White disciple,
However, Mincy makes his way onto this list due to the glowing recommendations from former Florida Gators guard Tre Mann and former guard recruit Anfernee Simons via Twitter.
Serving as an assistant on White's staff for six years, Mincy showcased strong potential as a rising coach in the ranks of college basketball, applying the expertise he gained in his playing career at Kent State in 135 career games. He aided the development of Dorian Finney-Smith, Devin Robinson, Chris Chiozza and, of course, Mann during his stint at UF.
That was highlighted with his appearance in ESPN's 40 under 40 in May 2020.
Moving up the road to Jacksonville (Florida) University following the Gators 2020-21 season, cashing in on the heightened recognition, Mincy aided the Dolphins to a 21-10 (11-5 ASUN) record – going a perfect 15-0 at home – to finish second in the ASUN.
The Mincy-led Jacksonville team lost to Bellarmine in the conference championship.
Obviously, he has earned the respect and admiration of the players he has coached and recruited. But, given his relative inexperience with just one season under his belt as a head coach, the Gators would have to take a leap of faith yet again on an up-and-comer.
Florida will likely look to target more proven options, though.
Mincy sits low on the totem pole for the Gators basketball program as a result. But, never say never.
Other names to note: Anthony Grant (Dayton), Tony Bennett (Virginia), Mike Boynton (Oklahoma State), Andy Kennedy (UAB), Dennis Gates (Cleveland State)
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