Where is Mike White from? Texas softball coach is New Zealand native
Where is Mike White from? Texas softball coach is New Zealand native
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Why Texas Tech, Texas will win 2025 WCWS
It's a Lone Star State Women's College World Series this year, and reporter Jenni Carlson breaks down one reason Texas Tech will win and one reason Texas will win the WCWS.
For the third time in the last four years, Mike White has led Texas softball to the Women's College World Series championship series.
The questions remain whether the Longhorns, who are back in the best-of-three championship series for the first time in back-to-back seasons, can succeed where previous teams have largely failed. Texas was swept in each of its previous two appearances, losing by an aggregate score of 26-6 and 16-7 against Oklahoma in 2022 and 2024, respectively.
White and Texas look to change that narrative starting June 3 at Devon Park in Oklahoma City when the Longhorns take on NiJaree Canady and No. 12 Texas Tech in the 2025 Women's College World Series Championship Series.
REQUIRED READING: Who's in WCWS championship series? Updated bracket, scores, schedule for NCAA softball
But as Texas competes in the WCWS championship series and White fulfills his in-game TV interview responsibilities, what will stand out about the veteran coach won't be his in-game decisions, but his distinct accent.
So, where is he from? Here's what to know:
Where is Mike White from?
White is originally from Wellington, New Zealand, and became a U.S. Citizen in 1994.
Growing up White played soccer on top of fastpitch softball and hoped to play for his country's national team, per ESPN. However, that dream of playing soccer for New Zealand was put to a halt in 1979 due to civil unrest and protests in Fiji.
"About the same time I ended up getting a call from the United States asking if I'd be interested in going over," White told ESPN in 2024. "I was 18 and decided to take that jump. I thought it would be my only chance to come to the United States and play."
As noted by ESPN, White was a star pitcher in the United States and was part of 11 teams that won American Softball Association or International Softball Congress championships. Of those 11 championship titles, White won MVP honors in five of them.
White's playing career in the United States also expanded into international play, after he became a U.S. citizen. In 2000, White led Team USA's national fastpitch softball team to a bronze medal at the world championships. He also helped pitch Team USA to several other medals, including three silver medals at the Pan American Games in 1995, 1999 and 2003.
He additionally competed for New Zealand's national team, which included throwing a perfect game in the championship game of the 1996 ISF World Championships against Canada.
Mike White record at Texas
White enters Wednesday's Game 1 of the WCWS championship series with a 314-92-2 overall record in seven seasons at Texas.
At 54-11 overall on the season, the Longhorns have reached the 50-win mark for the second consecutive season under White. A win on June 4 vs. Texas Tech would tie the record for most wins in a season under White, while a WCWS championship series win (two total wins) would set a new single-season wins record under White.
Here's a year-by-year breakdown of how Texas has fared under White:
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