Latest news with #MikeWhite
Forbes
a day ago
- Business
- Forbes
Collegiate Sport Needs To Prioritize Women's Leadership Advancement
AUSTIN, TX - MARCH 01: Texas outfielder Kayden Henry (21) gets a high five from Texas head coach ... More Mike White as she rounds third after hitting a homerun during the college softball game between Texas Longhorns and Tarleton State Texans at the Longhorn Invitational on March 1, 2024, at Red & Charline McCombs Field in Austin, Texas. (Photo by David Buono/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) The Women's College World Series (WCWS) opening round began today with an SEC matchup between the Texas Longhorns and Florida Gators, a game featuring two men head coaches and three men assistant coaches. While those leadership numbers may seem relatively common in women's sport, there are currently 0 women serving as head coaches for men's college baseball teams, an arguably similar sport and one that has provided many men softball coaches the skills necessary to succeed. This common disparity represents an ongoing and troubling trend of prioritizing stereotypes associated with men's qualifications, men who have never played collegiate softball, over women. Outside of softball, leadership imbalances have forever plagued collegiate sport, with men dominating coaching and administrative roles across the industry. However, the industry's rapid growth toward a distinct business model raises new concerns about how collegiate sport culture is developing given that the collegiate sport transformation is already underway. Name, image, and likeness deals have fundamentally altered the recruiting landscape, revenue sharing models are on the horizon, and the transfer portal has granted athletes historic mobility. As these changes reshape collegiate athletics, harmful leadership stereotypes and implicit associations are being solidified alongside them. GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA - APRIL 12: Head coach Tim Walton of the Florida Gators talks to Skylar Wallace ... More #17 during a game against the North Florida Ospreys at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium on April 12, 2023 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by) Here lies the problem at its core. The moment we officially reframe collegiate athletics away from an educational endeavor to a business enterprise, long-held stereotypes are solidified, suggesting women are inherently unfit to lead in entrepreneurial spaces. Education feels like comfortable territory for women to advance within given their association with teaching, nurturing, and largely stereotypical 'feminine' domains. But in sport business, the prevailing narrative insists that women lack the innate skills necessary to excel in those environments. As a result, we now find ourselves in a particularly challenging moment. Collegiate sport has always struggled with accepting women in leadership roles, clinging to outdated notions about who belongs in athletic authority. Now, as the industry shifts toward an explicitly business-focused model, distinct from the educational mission that has long provided cover even as college sport operates within a non-profit framework, women face an even greater burden. SPOKANE, WASHINGTON - MARCH 29: Head coach Geno Auriemma of the UConn Huskies celebrates with his ... More team after defeating the Oklahoma Sooners during the Sweet Sixteen round of the 2025 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament held at Spokane Arena on March 29, 2025 in Spokane, Washington. (Photo by Tyler Schank/NCAA Photos via Getty Images) The leadership disparities in collegiate sport are stark and have been persistent over the last two decades. Across NCAA men's sports, 95% of head coaches are men, with zero women coaching men's football, basketball, baseball, or soccer teams. Women's sports fare better but still show significant gaps, with only 44% of women's teams led by female head coaches. The variation across sports is telling. Women's lacrosse leads with 87% female head coaches, while women's swimming lags at just 21%. Assistant coaching positions sustain similar patterns. Only 8% of assistant coaches on men's teams are women, while 52% of assistant coaches on women's teams are women. The sport-specific breakdowns mirror head coaching trends, with women's swimming having just 42% female assistants compared to women's lacrosse at 87%. These numbers matter because assistant coaching positions serve as the primary pipeline to head coaching roles. At the administrative level, women only hold roughly 22% of NCAA athletic director positions, and as recently as 2014, 11.3% of athletic departments did not employ any women in either entry-level or management-level roles. Perhaps most concerning is the lack of progress women's representation has experienced over time. Since 2003, women have consistently held between 41-45% of head coaching positions for women's teams and just 3-5% for men's teams, with minimal movement in either direction. The data speaks to a clear pattern where sports with fewer women head coaches also maintain fewer women in assistant coaching roles, creating a self-reinforcing cycle that limits opportunities for advancement. SPOKANE, WASHINGTON - MARCH 30: Head coach Cori Close of the UCLA Bruins cuts down the net after ... More winning the Spokane regional championship against the LSU Lady Tigers 72-65 in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Spokane Arena on March 30, 2025 in Spokane, Washington. (Photo by) During the 2025 espnW NYC Summit, UCLA Head Women's Basketball Coach Cori Close spoke to the changing tide in collegiate sport, specifically women's sport, amidst recent NIL and transfer portal changes and alluded to the implications for the advancement of women in sport leadership. Close noted, "I truly think if you want women's sport to grow, but also to be impactful, I'm not saying no men, I'm saying that we need more women and we need to keep our quality women in the game." The newly emerging sport business model introduces variables that may continue to solidify a culture favoring men's stereotyped work-life preferences, particularly through changes made to the transfer portal. Although increased fluidity in updated transfer portal regulations has provided athletes with flexibility in their collegiate decisions, it has also generated an increasingly difficult environment for coaches. The transfer portal window timeline allows players just 30 days to make a decision and enter. The 2025 women's basketball transfer portal window opened Tuesday, March 25 and closed Wednesday, April 23. Close noted that the transfer portal dates generated significant distraction for coaches and programs alike. Between recruiting transfers and coach hiring decisions, the window fell directly in line with the women's basketball NCAA tournament and championship, creating an even more hectic planning period for coaching staffs fortunate enough to remain deep into the tournament. This culture further solidifies the arms race collegiate sport has fallen victim to for decades, where coaches feel the need to maintain largely unsustainable schedules to ensure they do not fall behind the competition. TAMPA, FLORIDA - APRIL 4: Kiki Rice #1 of the UCLA Bruins dribbles the ball away from Azzi Fudd #35 ... More of the UConn Huskies during the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament Final Four semifinal game at Amalie Arena on April 4, 2025 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by C. Morgan Engel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images) "I do think we need to move the date of the transfer window," Close said, "and, I'll tell you, an unintended consequence that I did not predict is that it rushed coaching changes. In the middle of the NCAA tournament, I know people were calling us. It was a distraction, and I don't think quality decisions are being made because they're rushing to beat the transfer portal window. So I think people rush their hires and it was a distraction in the NCAA tournament and it also penalizes the people who win." These industry changes continue to place emphasis on working additional hours to be successful as a leader in the industry. If coaches are not recruiting transfers as soon as the window opens, they run the risk of falling behind their counterparts. This intensification of demands continues to feed an expectation that sport leaders, especially coaches, must be available around the clock, and that hours worked will inevitably equate to success. As a result, the industry is essentially doubling down on work structures that have historically disadvantaged women, who are more likely to seek a more sustainable work-life balance and prioritize life outcomes above work related goals. GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA - MARCH 09: Head coach Dawn Staley of the South Carolina Gamecocks speaks ... More with Raven Johnson #25 and Te-Hina Paopao #0 against the Tennessee Lady Vols in the fourth quarter during the semifinals of the SEC Women's Basketball Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 09, 2024 in Greenville, South Carolina. (Photo by) Evidence from both sports-specific research and broader leadership studies have uncovered a critical disconnect between who is traditionally elevated to leadership positions and who actually demonstrates stronger leadership capabilities. Previous research that examined coaching effectiveness in women's basketball found that head coach gender does not impact individual player performance, directly challenging the assumption that men are inherently better equipped for leadership roles in sports. More broadly, recent analyses of leadership competencies shows that women are rated higher than men by their subordinates across 17 of the 19 leadership traits that differentiate excellent leaders, including taking initiative, acting with resilience, driving for results, and displaying high integrity. Importantly, it was also found that during crisis situations, women leaders are rated even more positively, particularly on traits that people value most in uncertain times. While sport continues to choose leaders based largely on stereotypical assumptions about masculine leadership traits, the data shows women excel in the areas that organizations need most. Women demonstrate superior performance in relationship building, adaptability, employee development, and honest communication. These are core competencies required of leaders in an emerging athletics environment currently navigating new NIL complexities, transfer portal pressures, and changing business models. Failure to prioritize evidence-based leadership advantages (that are more prominent among women) simply perpetuates the outdated hiring biases sport has historically fallen victim to.
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Who is Mike White? Meet Texas softball coach who hails from New Zealand
Who is Mike White? Meet Texas softball coach who hails from New Zealand Show Caption Hide Caption Texas Tech's NiJaree Canady and Tennessee's Karlyn Pickens lead WCWS players to watch The Oklahoman's Jenni Carlson highlights several Women's College World Series key players to watch. The 2025 Women's College World Series has arrived, and the pool of coaches in the eight-team bracket in Oklahoma City consists of some of the top coaches in college softball. One of those is Texas Longhorns coach Mike White. In seven seasons at Texas, White – known for his distinct accent – has transformed the Longhorns' into one of the nation's top college softball programs. His time in Austin has included a seven-year run competing neck-and-neck with Oklahoma in the Big 12 and SEC. REQUIRD READING: How does WCWS work? Explaining double-elimination format for NCAA softball tournament After making the WCWS last season as a No. 1 overall seed in the bracket, White has taken Texas – led by Reese Atwood and Teagan Kavan – to the WCWS in back-to-back seasons for just the second time in program history. Texas begins its quest to make its second consecutive WCWS championship series on Thursday, May 29 at noon ET against No. 3 Florida at Devon Park in Oklahoma City. Here's what to know about White ahead of the WCWS: Who is Mike White? Mike White is in his seventh season as Texas softball's coach, a position that he has held since June 25, 2018, when the Longhorns poached him from Oregon. In his first season in Austin, White led the Longhorns to a 13-win improvement over the previous season and an appearance in the super regional round of the NCAA softball tournament. Since then, the Longhorns have become one of the top softball programs in the country, highlighted by their 198-58-2 combined record in the last four seasons. In that time span, Texas has now made the WCWS three times in the last four years, a run that has included two appearances in the WCWS championship series, falling to Oklahoma in both. White led Texas to the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA softball tournament last season for the first time in program history. The Longhorns' appearance in the Austin Super Regional vs. Clemson this season kept alive White's consecutive streak of coaching a team to the super regionals at 15 consecutive seasons as a head coach (there was no tournament in 2020 due to COVID). In total, White has led Texas to five appearances in the super regional round of the NCAA softball tournament and three trips to the WCWS. He also led Texas to the 2024 Big 12 regular season title. REQUIRED READING: Does college softball have a run rule? How NCAA Tournament, WCWS games can end early He got his start in coaching as an assistant coach at Oregon, where he was from 2003-04. Then in 2010, he took over as the Ducks' head coach, turning Oregon into a nationally known and respected program. During his nine-year stint in Eugene and the Pac-12, White led the Ducks to a 435-11-1 overall record, five Pac-12 tournament titles and five appearances in the WCWS. When Oregon advanced to the WCWS in 2012 under White, it was the program's first trip to Oklahoma City since 1989. The Ducks' best season under White came in 2018, when they earned the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA softball tournament with a 53-10 overall record. Oregon finished in the top 10 of several categories that season, including third in winning percentage (.841) and fifth in team ERA (1.38). Mike White softball coaching history, record In his 16 seasons as a head coach, White has posted a 749-103-3 combined overall record at Oregon and Texas. Entering Thursday's start of the Women's College World Series, White has led the Longhorns to a 311-92-2 overall record. The Longhorns' 51 wins this year marks the second consecutive season they've reached at least 50 wins under White. Here's a breakdown of White's career as a college softball coach at Oregon and Texas: Oregon (2010-2018): 435-11-1 435-11-1 Texas (2019-present): 311-92-2 Here's a year-by-year breakdown of how Texas has fared under White: 2019: 46-17 46-17 2020: 24-3 24-3 2021: 43-14 43-14 2022: 47-22-1 47-22-1 2023: 45-15-1 45-15-1 2024: 55-10 55-10 2025: 51-11 Where is Texas softball coach Mike White from? White hails from Wellington, New Zealand, and became a U.S. Citizen in 1994. In 2000, he helped guide Team USA's national fastpitch softball team to a bronze medal at the World Championships. He also helped lead Team USA to several other medals in international play as a pitcher, including three silver medals at the Pan American Games in 1995, 1999 and 2003. White posted a 3-2 record with a 0.68 ERA in the 1995 Pan American Games. White threw a perfect game in the championship game of the 1996 ISF World Championships against Canada as a member of New Zealand's team. He retired from playing in 2007, three years before he landed his first head coaching job at Oregon.
Metro
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
The White Lotus fans terrified season 4 will be delayed after major announcement
The White Lotus creator Mike White is returning to his roots with reality series Survivor for the 50th (all-star) season – but fans have one concern. The acclaimed showrunner may be best known these days for his deadly critiques of the mega-rich in his luxury resort series on HBO but we all have an origin story. For those not in the know, get ready for a bonkers piece of Mike White lore. In 2018, Mike appeared on the 37th season, David vs. Goliath, and landed an agonising second place. This time we have no doubt he'll be going for the crown as he method acts his show out, for a second time. The long-running US reality series strands contestants on a deserted island where they compete in a series of challenges for the chance to win $1million (£742k). Survivor 50 is scheduled to film in Fiji in early June but some White Lotus fans fear this means the worst for the season four of the show. 'Welp White Lotus will be back in 4 years,' X user Eli wrote. 'We never getting white lotus s4,' thecprincess added. 'What about s4 of white lotus,' Niki asked. 'Don't you have a 4th season of the white lotus to be writing and directing,' gingy echoed. 'Writers will do literally anything to procrastinate when they're on deadline,' Tom Smyth agreed. Others, however, are already seeing the vision. 'Iconic tbh couldn't be more excited he was genuinely so much fun to watch on his season,' Lauren Leti reflected. 'The way he lives his life fascinates me. love you Mike White!!!!,' kevyoh echoed. 'Mike White's method writing is commendable,' whalienboi wrote. 'Oh I just know he will be farming for great arcs for the next The White Lotus season. Real Mike White fans know there would be no White Lotus without Survivor,' halimertugrul shared. 'He clearly needs some inspiration for White Lotus season 4,' Euanmcgrath agreed. 'He's going to win because he can just offer people jobs on the white lotus if they agree to work with him,' sarahjenkinsxo posed as a theory. 'The way he's gonna glide his way to the final three just because he bribes everyone with a cameo on The White Lotus,' _iamaliyah_ agreed. Executive producer and host Jeff Probst told CBS Mornings just how keen the Emmy-winning creator was ready to fight for his (metaphorical) life again. He said: 'Mike, after he finished playing, said, 'I want to play again,' When White Lotus hit, and I thought, 'Well, he'll never play again.' 'But he kept texting and saying, 'Look, I'm serious. If you ever do anything where you have returning players, I want to play again.' So we're happy to have Mike.' The reality series enthusiast has long been a fan of Survivor and, aptly, has used it as a study of the human psyche – something that has no doubt filtered down into the shows he creates. What's more, he has even recruited former Survivor contestants for cameos on the White Lotus including Angela Keeley and Kara Kay in season two. And in season three, Natalie Cole, Carl Boudreaux and Christian Hubicki, rock up as guests on the Thailand resort. In an interview with The New Yorker in 2021 the former Amazing Race contestant spoke about how Survivor is the only show he 'devotedly watches'. The School of Rock star added: 'Part of my job and my way of life is studying people and analysing motivation and character. 'I still feel like, even on the most contrived reality show, the people are human and they're more interesting than some of the most well-scripted drama. More Trending 'And for me, as a writer of drama, I aspire to do what reality television already does. To create characters that are surprising and dimensional and do weird shit and capture your attention.' After an intense culling process (cut down from 200 names, according to Jeff) there are a total of 23 cast members joining Mike on the island. This includes season one's Jenna Lewis-Dougherty, season 10's Stephenie Lagrossa Kendrick, season 18's Benjamin 'Coach' Wade, season 12's Cirie Fields, season 13's Ozzy Lusth, and season 32's Aubry Bracco, season two's Colby Donaldson and Season 46's Q. View More » There are also two mystery contestants yet to be announced. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: And Just Like That series 3 is slowly fixing the show's biggest problem MORE: WWE champion Lyra Valkyria reveals star's horror injury was 'worst she's ever seen' MORE: The new Harry Potter child stars have confirmed my worst fears
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
'The White Lotus' creator Mike White joins 'Survivor 50'
Mike White, screenwriter and creator of HBO's The White Lotus, is set to return to Survivor for its milestone 50th season. Host Jeff Probst confirmed the news during an appearance on 'CBS Mornings,' stating, 'In between writing and directing seasons of 'White Lotus,' Mike White is back.' White previously appeared on Survivor in 2018 during its 37th season, staying for the full 39 days and finishing as runner-up. His time on the show reportedly influenced The White Lotus, the acclaimed anthology series that premiered in 2021. The show's third season, which aired this spring and featured Parker Posey, Carrie Coon and Walton Goggins, drew over six million viewers for its finale. Before Survivor, White competed twice on The Amazing Race alongside his father. He has described reality television as a source of creative inspiration. 'For me, as a writer of drama, I aspire to do what reality television already does,' he said in a 2021 interview with The New Yorker. Survivor's 50th season, scheduled to air in 2026, will include several returning contestants, such as Jenna Lewis-Dougherty from Season 1, and veteran players Cirie Fields and Ozzy Lusth. Filming is set for this summer.
Sydney Morning Herald
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Why the creator of The White Lotus is returning to reality TV
The White Lotus creator, Mike White, is heading to Fiji – but not to film his hit HBO series. White will star as a contestant in the 50th season of Survivor, competing against other returning players for a $US1 million prize. The news may be a surprise to some fans who only know the 54-year-old writer-director from his Emmy award-winning show, but it's something followers of reality TV have been anticipating for years. White, then known best for School of Rock, first appeared on Survivor back in 2018 (three years before The White Lotus). He came second in that season, themed David v Goliath, and has been high on everyone's wishlist of players to return to the series. Not that anyone thought it would actually happen. 'Mike, after he finished playing, said, 'I want to play again',' the show's longtime host Jeff Probst told CBS Mornings. '[Then] when White Lotus hit I thought, 'well, he'll never play again'. But he kept texting and saying: 'Look, I'm serious. If you ever do anything where you have returning players, I want to play again.' 'This is the guy that writes and directs White Lotus, which studies human behaviour in the most fascinating way. He gets Survivor.' In fact, White has spoken a lot about how the series influenced The White Lotus, from the subject (bickering Americans dropped in remote locations) to the editing and the music cues. He's also given a number of Survivor contestants cameos in each season. ' Survivor is the only show I really devotedly watch,' White told The New Yorker in 2021. 'I still feel like, even on the most contrived reality show, the people are human and they're more interesting than some of the most well-scripted drama.
