Athletic Director Danny White is leaving UB and heading to Central Florida University of the American Athletic Conference. It’s a step up for White after serving as AD at UB for three years and having made a number of significant changes.
White’s moves included the firing of the popular Reggie Witherspoon as basketball coach and Jeff Quinn as the football coach.
White also hired Bobby Hurley to replace Witherspooon and saw him take the Bulls to their first ever NCAA contest, only to lose him at the end of the semester.
Most significantly, White instituted the unpopular switch to State University of New York as the prominent name in the athletic department logo.
Without question White had the support of UB President Satish K. Tripathi and was able to convince him to better fund the department. Now Tripathi must find a replacement for White and hopefully it will be a candidate who plans on staying longer than three years.
Danny White was hired after Ward Manuel left to take the AD job at U. Conn. The popular Manuel was at UB for seven years.
This means the University at Buffalo will be searching for the third Athletic Director in just over ten years. Another change could affect fund raising for facilities and longevity for current coaches.
UB is considered a mid-major in the world of NCAA athletics and as a result it is a stepping stone for younger coaches and administrators. Any candidate who is not from western New York will more than likely leave for a more lucrative deal after leaving his or her mark, as White has done.
In my brief encounters with White I found him to be personable and pleasant. I didn’t agree with the change of the logo and emphasis of the name New York on uniforms and playing surfaces. To me it was a change made by someone obviously not from the area and saw the name Buffalo as a weakness in recruiting.
If President Tripathi and his committee can find a replacement who plans on staying long enough to see the fruits of their labor before sending out a resume, I’m all for it.
Filed under: Koshinski's Korner
Tagged with: Bobby Hurley, Bulls, Central Florida University, Danny White, Reggie Witherspoon, Satish K. Tripathi, University at Buffalo
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