Tennessee AD Danny White receives extension after 2023-24 success
Danny White has received an extension after Tennessee’s highly successful 2023-24 athletic year.
University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Chancellor Donde Plowman announced Thursday that White is extended until 2020.
“When Danny says he and his team of exceptional athletics administrators and coaches are working to build the best athletics department in the country, those are not just empty words,” Plowman in a program release. “Danny is visionary — a leader in our conference and across the country — and is focused every day on creating the very best experiences for our student-athletes, our fans and our athletics department. That focus and commitment are yielding extraordinary results across all sports.”
White has been the Tennessee AD since 2021. Earlier this year, the Tennessee baseball team won the College World Series, delivering UT its first national championship in any sport since 2009.
Tennessee’s successful 2023-24 extends beyond baseball. The Volunteers sent every team to the postseason in 2023-24, a first in UT history. Tennessee was one of only two Power 5 programs to accomplish the feat. In the SEC, UT won its third straight SEC All-Sports Trophy.
“We have phenomenal leadership at the University of Tennessee — from our chancellor, my boss Donde Plowman, to our UT System president, Randy Boyd, and our board chair, John Compton,” said White. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve such an upwardly mobile institution with talented, supportive people all around me. Our student-athletes, coaches and staff are inspired to be a part of something bigger than themselves — powered by the best fan base in sport. Together we have an opportunity to build something extraordinary on Rocky Top. I believe that the momentum we’ve built in our first few years is only the beginning of a much more profound story.”
One of White’s first acts as Tennessee AD in January 2021 was hiring Josh Heupel as head football coach. Heupel has a 27-12 record on Rocky Top as he enters Year 4 of his tenure. Tennessee football hosts Chattanooga on Saturday to open the 2024 season.
Chancellor Donde Plowman has announced a contract extension for athletic director Danny White.
Under White’s leadership, Tennessee Athletics has seen unprecedented success, culminating in the best overall year in its history in 2023-24.
— Tennessee Athletics (@Vol_Sports) August 29, 2024
It looks like UT has finally turned the corner in the Athletics Department. The support of the university administration is an absolute requirement and they are providing that. We finally have a competent AD, and the coaches are all upper tier. Hopefully Tony V has only brought the first of many NCs to UT and the other sports will follow suit. Stay tuned.
Some of Tennessee biggest issues over the last 20 years have been directly related to not having the right people making the decisions. Weak leadership allowed boosters make too many decisions as if they are were owners of an NFL team. Now we got qualified leadership and results have been outpacing expectations.
“University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Chancellor Donde Plowman announced Thursday that White is extended until 2020.”
Is 2020 going to loop back around?
Dear Lord I hope not.
Thank goodness for Tony V yes…if it was based on the regression of the football team’s record
JUST KIDDING…Danny White has made some great hires and retained a few of the better coaches from the previous AD’s regime and deserves a lot of credit for turning the Vols athletic program around. Well deserved extension…
Eh-he’s only hired Heupel (good hire-not yet worthy of great) and an unproven mid-major women’s basketball coach. I know that seems groundbreaking by TN standards but it’s called doing your job at most functional athletic departments
It really is a breathe of fresh air in the UT Athletic Department now. The struggles of the 2010’s can be attributed to the weak AD’s we once had…
I would argue that the university leadership, consisting of weak presidents, chancellors, and board of trustees, were worse. They hired and retained the weak AD’s who hired and retained the weak coaches. Now Randy Boyd and Donde Plowman are leading a very competent executive team. Wouldn’t trade them for any other university leaders.
He doesn’t deserve to make more than Vitello until one of his hires at least wins a conference championship. It’s nice that he’s not the imbeciles we’re used to but none of his coaching hires have shown a level of success to pay him over $3M annually. No-retaining coaches doesn’t mean you deserve that-that’s the bare minimum for a successful AD. I’d keep Donde Plowman over Danny White-she’s the real brains and game changer.