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Tennessee Vols: Five reasons UCF AD Danny White is best hire in decades

By Caleb Calhoun

TAMPA, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 23: The UCF Knights Athletic director Danny White stands on the sidelines during warm-up before a game against the South Florida Bulls at Raymond James Stadium on November 23, 2018 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 23: The UCF Knights Athletic director Danny White stands on the sidelines during warm-up before a game against the South Florida Bulls at Raymond James Stadium on November 23, 2018 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) /
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Mar 8, 2019; Buffalo, NY, USA; Bowling Green Falcons head coach Nate Oats during the first half against the Bowling Green Falcons at Alumni Arena. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 8, 2019; Buffalo, NY, USA; Bowling Green Falcons head coach Nate Oats during the first half against the Bowling Green Falcons at Alumni Arena. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports /

1. Superb hiring of coaches

It’s impossible to understate how amazing of a track record Danny White has when it comes to hiring coaches. He has been arguably the best in the nation at it while working at two different schools, and that’s what the Tennessee Vols need.

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Most notably, White had to replace longtime UCF Knights football coach George O’Leary after they went 0-12 in 2015. He hired Scott Frost, and they went 13-0 two years later. After Frost left for the Nebraska Cornhuskers, White hired Josh Heupel, and they once again went undefeated in the regular season.

With the Buffalo Bulls, White resurrected the football program by hiring Lance Leipold, who has had three winning seasons in a row. Speaking of Buffalo, White made his best hire ever there, bringing in Nate Oats to coach the men’s basketball program. Oats is now rolling with the Alabama Crimson Tide. Oats followed Bobby Hurley, another elite coach White also hired.

The UCF Knights men’s basketball program has had solid success with Johnny Dawkins, and White turned the women’s basketball program around immediately with Katie Abrahamson-Henderson, who in her third year, took the program to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011. Simply put, he has been successful with all of his hires.

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White even had success on the diamond. He maintained the UCF softball success by hiring Cindy Ball-Malone, and he rebuilt the baseball program by hiring Greg Lovelady, who has taken the Knights to four straight winning seasons and an American Athletic Conference title. Almost every White hire works out, especially in football, and this is why he’s perfect for the Tennessee Vols.

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