Michael White to Florida: Latest Contract Details, Comments and Reaction

The Florida Gators have found their next men's basketball coach. Michael White, who has spent the last four seasons coaching at Louisiana Tech, will take over the job. 

The official Gators men's basketball Twitter account announced White's hiring:

According to Mark Long of The Associated Press, Florida will hold a press conference on Monday to formally introduce White:   

Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley said in a statement, per Adam Silverstein of OnlyGators.com, that White's integrity and coaching style made him a strong fit for the program:

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He is a winner who has a high level of integrity, plays an up-tempo style of play and has the respect of his peers and the basketball community. He has experience in coaching, recruiting and playing in the Southeastern Conference and has a strong pedigree. He has a certain authenticity with people and is not afraid of challenges.

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Foley isn't just blowing smoke, as ESPN's Jeff Goodman reported the Gators never contacted some of the hot coaching candidates, like Dayton's Archie Miller or Xavier's Chris Mack, because Foley was set on hiring White from the beginning:

ESPN's Jeff Borzello reported White's contract will be for $12 million over six years:

Per Scott Carter of GatorZone.com, White said that he's thrilled to be taking over the job and reveres the school as a whole:

To say that White has big shoes to fill would be an understatement. Billy Donovan helped put Florida's basketball program on the map, culminating in back-to-back national championships in 2006 and 2007 before taking the head coaching job at Oklahoma City in April. 

As ESPN's Seth Greenberg noted, White's resume will remind Florida fans of Donovan, though not necessarily during the glory days:

The Gators are coming off a down year, winning 16 games and missing the NCAA tournament for the first time since the 2008-09 season. They are just one year removed from winning 36 games and playing in the Final Four.

White will be tasked with returning the program to national prominence. He molded Louisiana Tech into a consistently strong basketball school, winning at least 27 games in each of his final three seasons there. 

Even though White couldn't get the Bulldogs into the NCAA tournament, that consistently high level of play does speak volumes about his ability to build a roster, develop talent and get all of the young men to work together toward a common goal. 

Now, with a bigger recruiting canvas to work with, White will be able to build Florida's basketball program to his exact specifications. There's going to be a lot more pressure coaching in the SEC, but his resume is a good indication of where he can take this program.