Mike White, Beloved Former Coach of the California and Oakland Raiders, Passes Away at 89

Mike White, Former College Football Coach, Passes Away at 89

BERKELEY, Calif. — Mike White, a prominent figure in college football who achieved significant success with California and Illinois and later coached the Oakland Raiders, has died at the age of 89. His family confirmed that he passed away on Sunday in Newport Beach.

White’s coaching career was marked by several milestones. He played a key role in helping the California Golden Bears secure a share of the Pac-8 title in 1975. Under his leadership, the Illinois Fighting Illini reached their first Rose Bowl in 20 years during the 1983 season. After returning to Oakland in 1995, White coached the Raiders during their initial two seasons following their relocation from Los Angeles.

In addition to his head coaching roles, White served as an assistant coach for the San Francisco 49ers and was part of the St. Louis Rams’ staff during their Super Bowl victory in 2000.

“Mike was special,” said Burl Toler Jr., a linebacker who played for White at Cal from 1974 to 1977. “He treated us like men and with a lot of respect. Mike was a very gifted and smart coach who loved Cal and loved being a coach, and he surrounded himself with a lot of like minds who instilled in us a will to succeed.”

A remarkable athlete in his own right, White was a four-sport student-athlete at Cal during the 1950s. He began his coaching career as an assistant at California and Stanford before taking the head coaching position at his alma mater in 1972.

During his six seasons at Cal, White compiled a record of 35-30-1. His most notable achievement came in 1975, when he was named coach of the year after the Golden Bears finished tied for first place in the conference. That season saw Cal ranked 14th nationally, supported by standout players such as Chuck Muncie and quarterback Joe Roth.

White is also credited with coaching quarterback Steve Bartkowski, who became the top overall pick in the 1975 NFL draft. After two years as an offensive line coach for the 49ers, he returned to college football in 1980 with Illinois, where he achieved a 47-41-3 record and led the team to three bowl games, including a 1984 Rose Bowl appearance.

In 1983, White’s Illinois team achieved an impressive 9-0 record in the Big Ten, making history as the first team in the conference to defeat every opponent within the same season.

White returned to the NFL in 1990 and spent five seasons as an assistant with the Raiders before becoming head coach. He held a record of 15-17 before leaving the position after the 1996 season.