May 5, 2009

ADRIAN, Mich. - The Adrian College athletic department has announced the hiring of Mark White as the new men's basketball head coach. White is a 1988 graduate of Adrian College and was inducted into the College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2002. He currently ranks fifth on the career charts in scoring with 1,454 points and is also the current holder of the all-time assists record.

"Mark White is a great fit for our men's basketball program," said athletic director Mike Duffy. "He knows how competitive basketball is in the MIAA from his playing days and the future of Adrian College men's basketball is in very capable hands."

White comes back to Adrian College after a very successful career as a prep coach in his hometown of Detroit, Mich. He compiled a record of 201-42 during his time as head coach at Renaissance High School and Southeastern High School. He coached two Michigan Class B High School State Championship teams at Renaissance in 2004 and 2006 and advanced to the state semifinals four out of five seasons from 2002 to 2006.

"Mark White is a well organized coach," says University of Michigan men's basketball coach John Beilein. "He is a great teacher of the fundamentals of the game. His energy and enthusiasm is contagious. I sense he has been a driving force in many players' lives on and off the court. His accomplishments at Renaissance and Southeastern are a testament of his ability to produce championship contenders each year. He will be a great fit at his alma mater Adrian College."

"Mark White is a great hire for Adrian College," said Michigan State University men's basketball coach Tom Izzo. "He's won numerous championships in his career. But even more importantly, he wins the right way. He's not going to be outworked and he spends time with his players, establishing very important relationships. I've recruited his players for several years, and academically and socially, they are always prepared for the next step in life. I have no doubt that he'll be successful at Adrian."

White is replacing long-time coach Buck Riley who spent 27 seasons on the bench at the helm of the men's basketball program.