Brett White has wanted to become a head basketball coach, but he was more than content to remain an assistant with the Columbus North girls program.
So when the North girls job opened last month, White was intrigued with the possibility of leading the program. Tuesday morning, he was hired as the ninth girls basketball coach in school history.
“It’s always been a goal of mine to be a head coach,” White said. “At the same time, I’ve always enjoyed being at North High School, so I really wasn’t looking to go anywhere else. So when the opportunity arose to become the coach here, I was excited about that opportunity.”
White, who has been an assistant under Pat McKee the past nine years, teaches math at the high school.
“Teaching-wise, I really enjoy the people that I work with and the administration that I work for,” White said. “As far as athletics, it’s always been a place that athletics has been important. We have dedicated student-athletes, and we have administration that knows it’s important. So with academics and athletics, it’s always been a good fit for me.”
White grew up in Newman, Illinois, and was a manager and student assistant for the men’s team while in college at Eastern Illinois. It was there that he met his wife Allison, a former Columbus East standout who played for the women’s team at EIU.
After teaching math and physical education and serving as freshman boys coach for two years in Monticello, Illinois, the Whites moved to Columbus in 1999. Brett was JV boys coach at North for two years and varsity boys assistant for four years. After a year off, he came back as eighth-grade boys coach at Northside for five years, then was assistant freshman boys coach at North for a year before moving joining McKee’s staff for the 2012-13 season.
“Honestly, I thought it would be different, but when it comes down to it, I’m coaching athletes, whether it’s boys or girls,” White said. “So really, my style hasn’t changed any.”
White has some big shoes to fill. McKee is the school’s all-time winningest coach and led the Bull Dogs to six sectional, four regional and three semistate titles and the 2015 Class 4A state championship.
“Our goal each year is going to be to compete for conference and sectional championships and individually, to see improvement,” White said. “We have a core group coming back that will hopefully help us do that right away. Part of what was attractive to the job is that fact that we’ve had success, we have a nice core of girls coming back.”
During most of his time with the North girls program, White has been the team’s defensive coordinator.
“Pat had given me a lot of responsibility and leeway that will hopefully prepare me as I take this next step,” White said.
“He understands the Xs and Os, and he wants to continue the success we’ve had with our program,” North athletics director Brian Lewis said. “I know when you bring in someone new, kids are going to be energized just because it’s something new.”
White’s oldest daughter Madison was a senior on this year’s North team and plans to play college basketball at St. Mary of the Woods. His younger daughter Kaitlin was a freshman on this years JV squad.
White also has been assistant girls golf coach at North for the past 12 years.
“I think he’s a really great person,” Lewis said. “One thing that he kept talking about in the interview was the process of helping the girls become great young women. He understands the importance of becoming a great role model, not only for his daughter, but for all the girls. I think all the girls really get along with Brett, and that’s really important.”
White embraces that importance of being a role model for his players.
“I’m an educator first,” White said. “I view the basketball team and the basketball court as an extension of my classroom. If I want my players to behave in a certain way, then I’m going to try to model that behavior.”
