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Danny White: Ranking Tennessee Vols AD’s 10 best coaching hires at UCF, Buffalo

By Caleb Calhoun

Mar 24, 2019; Storrs, CT, USA; Buffalo Bulls head coach Felisha Legette-Jack watches from the sideline as they take on the UConn Huskies during the first inning in the second round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament at Gampel Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 24, 2019; Storrs, CT, USA; Buffalo Bulls head coach Felisha Legette-Jack watches from the sideline as they take on the UConn Huskies during the first inning in the second round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament at Gampel Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 24, 2019; Storrs, CT, USA; Buffalo Bulls head coach Felisha Legette-Jack watches from the sideline as they take on the UConn Huskies during the first half in the second round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament at Gampel Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 24, 2019; Storrs, CT, USA; Buffalo Bulls head coach Felisha Legette-Jack watches from the sideline as they take on the UConn Huskies during the first half in the second round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament at Gampel Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports /

Record with Buffalo Bulls (prior to 2020-2021): 161-97

  • 2 MAC Tournament Championships (2016, 2019)
  • 1 MAC East Division Championship (2018)
  • 3 NCAA Tournaments (2018 Sweet 16, 2019 Round of 32, 2016 Round of 64)

Yes, Danny White’s best hires are on the basketball front and particularly on the women’s basketball front. What he did with the Buffalo Bulls women’s basketball program remains his most impressive move.

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When White took over, Buffalo had not had a winning season since 2002-2003. One of his first moves was to replace Linda Hill-MacDonald, who never had a winning season in seven years there. Well, White made a risky move and turned to Felisha Legette-Jack, who had just been fired by the Indiana Hoosiers.

It’s hard to make a splash when your first hire is of somebody who was recently fired after three straight losing seasons. However, White clearly saw something, and it didn’t take long for Legette-Jack to get the program rolling.

After going 12-20 her first year, Legette-Jack has had a winning season every year since. So Buffalo went from nine straight .500 or worse seasons before her to seven straight winning seasons since her. It gets better.

In 2016, Buffalo won the MAC Tournament Championship and made its first NCAA Tournament appearance in history. Two years later, she did something even more impressive and took them to the Sweet Sixteen, an insane accomplishment. She then won the MAC again in 2018 and led them to the NCAA Tournament, so they’ve played in three of the last four March Madness events.

Next. Five things Danny White must avoid in FB coaching search. dark

Given that success, the risk of the hire and where the program was before the hire, Felisha Legette-Jack is easily Danny White’s best hire. It also shows that he can find coaches anywhere, and he knows how to long beyond resumes on paper. That’s definitely what the Vols need.

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