New San Jose State University assistant football coach remembers his playing days at the University of Washington, A four-year starter at linebacker for the Huskies, he was a second-team All-Pac-10 Conference selection his senior year.
He excelled by keeping the game as simple as possible. And, he has taken that credo and carried it over into his coaching career at stops that include Central Washington University, Palomar College and UCLA. Along the way, he paved the way for a number of linebackers at each school to excel and then move on to a professional career.
"That's a big part of my job. I have a motto, 'The brilliance is in the simplicity. How simple can I make that?' without them having to figure it out on their own," White said about his coaching philosophy.
"Let me do all the thinking. You guys can go out and play on your own. That's how I approach it. Put them in a position, simplify things so they can go out and play football the best.
"This group has been great to work with, great to be around, to develop. They're working their butts off, getting better every day and learning how to play," White said about the start of his first season as a Spartans' position coach. In 2018, he was a team analyst with no coaching responsibilities.
For senior Ethan Aguayo, the team's leading tackler from last season, he appreciates Coach White's approach to the fine art of playing the linebacker position.
"Coach White's been great. He's been the one lining us up for success giving us the finer details of our assignments. He pushes us to be our best. He's going to give us his best every day in the classroom and on the field. So, we have to be willing to do the same for him," said Aguayo.
For the remainder of the week prior to the August 17 FanFest on the practice field, the message again is simple according to the Spartan senior.
"Focusing on our assignments and giving a 'blue line effort' – 100-100 every day. The one thing we can control is our effort and our attitude," he said.
The FanFest begins with a 5:30 p.m. scrimmage followed by a 7:00 p.m. barbeque meal. To close the day with the Spartans, the movie "Spider-Man; Into the Spider Verse" will be shown.
Tickets for the barbecue and movie are $25.00 each, but free to Shield 365 members. There is no charge to watch the scrimmage.
Tickets for the San Jose State season opener with Northern Colorado on August 29 and all home games are available at www.sjsuspartans.com/tickets.