Where is Mike White from? What to know about Texas softball coach's New Zealand roots

Texas softball is one series away from immortality, as the Longhorns are close to finally getting over the national championship barrier.

Under head coach Mike White, Texas has now made it to three of the past four Women's College World Series finals, but they lost in the previous two appearances to Oklahoma. The veteran coach has proven to be one of the best in the sport, and a big reason is because of his history in the game. 

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The 57-year-old White is a legend in the softball world, dating back to his playing days. However, while White is now a staple in American college softball, his story started halfway across the world as a men's softball player.

Here's what you need to know.

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Where is Mike White from?

Texas coach Mike White was born and raised in Wellington, New Zealand, and he has become a softball legend in his home country.

Growing up, White was a multi-sport athlete who was a star softball pitcher but had dreams of potentially playing for the New Zealand men's national soccer team, he told ESPN in a story last year. However, due to protests in Fiji, he was unable to make a planned trip with the team.

He ended up focusing on softball, and he would become one of the best pitchers in New Zealand softball, which at the time had a strong pool of players. White is now a member of the New Zealand Softball Hall of Fame, one of several hall of fames in which White earned entrance.

He moved to the United States to further pursue fast-pitch softball, and he would become one of the best players in the sport, doing so as a pitcher. While many men's players from New Zealand faded away from the game as they got older, White transitioned to coaching.

In 1994, White became an American citizen, allowing him to compete in the world softball championships for Team USA.

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Mike White softball career

Before becoming a coach, White was a men's softball star as a pitcher in both New Zealand and the United States. After moving to the United States, he won 70 games in world fast-pitch softball tournaments between 1980 and 2006, which was more than any other pitcher in the game at the time.

Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, White was one of the United States' best men's fast-pitch softball pitchers, which included winning five MVP awards in either the American Softball Association or International Softball Congress.

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Mike White Texas softball record

Texas hired White before the 2019 season, and White has since helped turn Texas into a perennial contender. Here's how Texas has fared in each of White's seven seasons thus far.