Mike White: From Men's Softball legend to Women's College World Series champion coach
Mike White is one of the most recognisable, successful and highest-paid head coaches in US college softball. This past weekend, he led the Texas Longhorns to their first national title in Oklahoma City, with an impressive 10-4 victory against Texas Tech in the third and final game of the Women's College World Series.
However, before becoming a head coach in the United States, White built one of the most impressive playing careers in men’s softball history, establishing himself as one of the greatest pitchers of all time.
A Wellington native, White won four World Cup medals with the New Zealand Black Sox, including two world titles in 1984 and 1996, and two silver medals in 1988 and 1992.
In 1984, when White won his first world championship, he didn't give up a single earned run in 25.2 innings pitched, leading the tournament with a 0.00 ERA and 42 strikeouts. He combined with Kevin Herlihy and Steve Jackson to post a 0.58 ERA for the tournament.
His most memorable outing came on 13 July, 1996, when he paired with catcher Mark Sorenson to throw a perfect game in the final of the IX WBSC Men's Softball World Cup, leading New Zealand to the world title. It was arguably the most impressive individual performance in the history of the sport - perhaps only rivaled by Ty Stofflet’s 20-inning no-hitter in 1976 or Adam Folkard’s no-hitter in the 2009 World Cup final - as he struck out 13 Canadian batters.
It was revenge for White after losing to Canada at the previous WBSC Men's Softball World Cup in 1992. "I came in in relief at the 1992 final and gave up a three-run homer to Jody Hennigar in the bottom of the seventh to give the title to the Canadians. I ended up the loser then. I'm glad the 1996 championship had a different ending," White said after the final in Midland, USA in 1996. "Jarrad (Martin) took away three hits himself. Canada's got great power-hitters. My objective was to keep the ball down, and on the ground."
Later in his career, he became a US citizen and represented the red, white and blue in the WBSC Men's Softball World Cup 2000, helping USA earn a bronze medal, the fifth in White's career.
White retired from the game in 2007 after 30 years in the circle, and three years later he became the head coach at the University of Oregon. He managed the team for nine seasons, posting a 435-111-1 (.796) overall record while guiding Oregon to five Women's College World Series appearances (2012, 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2018).
He joined the University of Texas in 2018, and seven years later had amassed 316 wins. Glory came last weekend in his eighth trip to the Women’s College World Series, following two previous losses in the final series to Oklahoma. As a head coach, he reached the peak of his career, securing the Women's College World Series for Texas. “I’m still trying to process the whole thing,” White said at the press conference after the final. “Actually, it’s something you dream about.”