Danny White was officially introduced to UCF as the new athletic director by President John Hitt on Thursday at an introductory press conference.
“In my view at least, we have found a true rising star among our nation’s ADs,”Hitt said. “Danny is very talented and in the brief time I’ve met him, I’ll tell you he is determined, he’s energetic and he understands that success starts with winning with integrity.”
White is currently the AD at the University of Buffalo and comes to UCF as one of the youngest athletic directors in the nation at the age of 36. The new athletic director was introduced to a crowd of just over 100 people who included media, student athletes, athletics coaches and staff.
“[UCF] is an institution that is going places very quickly, it has come a long way in a short period of time in the last couple decades,” White said. “And it was something that my wife and I realized we very much wanted to be a part of.”
White also harped on integrity as the biggest factor in developing an unwavering and formidable athletics department for UCF.
However, the biggest topic of inquiry was the search for a new football coach as the program enters the final two games of the season with interim head coach Danny Barrett. While both White and Hitt determined that it would be best for the program to have a new coach by January 1, they would not commit to the date because they want the search to be thorough.
“From what I understand, there is talent on the roster and I won’t be out there selling a rebuild in terms of a football program,” White said. “I’ll be recruiting coaches to come in and raise the bar competitively right away and get us back to where we were.”
Finding the right coach for the program is of the utmost importance to White, but he is aware that the school will have to move quickly to get a new football coach with 11 current vacancies around the NCAA.
Another main focus for the new athletic director will be the development of student-athletes and giving them the best possible experience during their time at UCF.
“Every single decision that we make is going to start and stop with what is in [student-athletes] best interest. I think if we do that, not only will they become our best recruiters, but they will become our best and most connected alumni,” White said.
The new athletic director intends to bring a lot of what he did in Buffalo with him to Orlando and was very complimentary of the school he will be leaving in favor of UCF. White’s start date as the new athletic director for UCF has yet to be determined because a timeframe will have to be worked out with the University of Buffalo.
