Loran Smith: On Mike White

Loran SmithWith basketball season moving deep into January, there is good news for UGA partisans in that the Dawgs seem to have found a fruitful fit with the new coach. Mike White comes from a family of coaches and athletic administrators and seems to have a very important ingredient in his makeup—savvy.

There’s more. and all of his professional plusses fall under the heading of fundamentals first. Sometimes coaching styles can be simplified. They can be elementary. In basketball, if you play defense and make three throws, those influences alone will likely take you to an enviable status.

With defense, you have to “want to play defense.” I remember a conversation with the legendary Walt…