The University of Tennessee continues a search to hire a director of athletics and then a head coach to lead its football program.
A combination of Danny White as athletics director and Lance Leipold as head coach could occur at the University of Tennessee. Both provide a work history and championship pedigree that UT is searching for.
White, who serves as vice president and director of athletics at the University of Central Florida, hired Leipold at Buffalo in 2014.
White hired the championship head coach away from Wisconsin-Whitewater.
Nov. 30, 2018; Detroit, Michigan; Buffalo Bulls head coach Lance Leipold during the second half against the Northern Illinois Huskies at Ford Field. Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports
Leipold has won six NCAA Division III national championships (2007, 2009–2011, 2013–2014) and two bowl games in 14 years.
He is 146–39 during his head coaching career at Buffalo and Wisconsin–Whitewater.
Leipold also served as an assistant at Nebraska and Nebraska-Omaha.
University of Tennessee Chancellor Donde Plowman previously held positions of executive vice chancellor and chief academic officer and college of business dean at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Josh Heupel, right, is introduced as the new Central Florida head football coach by Danny White, UCF Athletic director in Orlando on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2017. Heupel has been the offensive coordinator at Missouri the past two seasons. He replaces Scott Frost, who accepted the Nebraska coaching job after leading UCF to a 12-0 record and the American Athletic Conference title. (Red Huber/Orlando Sentinel via AP)
White’s background is extensive, serving as director of athletics at Buffalo (2012-15) and UCF (2015-present).
His father, Kevin White, is the athletics director at Duke. His brother, Brian White, is the vice president and director of athletics at Florida Atlantic. Mike White, his other brother, is the men’s basketball head coach at Florida. His sister, Mariah Chappell, is the assistant athletics director for administration at SMU.
The UCF athletics director played basketball at Notre Dame. He is a graduate from Notre Dame, Ohio and Ole Miss.
Leipold previously joined the show “Tennessee Two-A-Days” to discuss his coaching career.
The show can be listened to here or below.
