Mike White, who coached Raiders and multiple college programs, dead at 89

Mike White, the accomplished football coach who spent time leading programs in both college and the the NFL with the Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders, has died.

White passed away in Newport Beach, Calif., at 89 years old.

“The Raiders Family is saddened by the passing of Mike White, former head coach of the Silver and Black and a long-time NFL and college coach and mentor,” the Raiders said in a statement. “The prayers of the entire Raider Nation are with MIke’s family at this time.”

White spent seven years coaching with the Raiders, two of which serving as their head coach from 1995-96. He previously served in a quarterbacks and offensive line coaching role.

But White’s coaching career began at the ripe age of 22, when he joined the Cal Golden Bears as a defensive line coach in 1958 after being a four-sport athlete at the school in the 1950s.

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He served in that role for six years before moving on to Stanford as their offensive coordinator and offensive line coach from 1964-71.

White’s time with the Golden Bears wasn’t over, though, as he returned to Berkeley to lead them as their head coach. He served in that role from 1972–77.

White finally broke into the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers in 1978, where he served as the team’s offensive line coach for two years.

Then, it was back to college, this time leading the Illinois Fighting Illini from 1980-87 as head coach.

Following his time with the Raiders, White was an offensive assistant with the St. Louis Rams.

White’s coaching career spanned five decades, and he impacted many coaches and players along the way.

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“Mike was special,” Burl Toler Jr., who played for the Golden Bears from 1974-77, said about White. “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.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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