Florida Atlantic has locked up their lead man for the foreseeable future. On Thursday afternoon, FAU announced they had signed Athletic Director Brian White to a 5 year extension. White has made a major impact on the University since coming to Boca Raton in 2018, and FAU president Stacy Volnick continues to make her mark as interim President by locking down the man responsible for a lot of the Owls athletic success. “The entire university has benefited tremendously from the success of our athletics program under Brian’s leadership,” said Volnick in an FAU press release. “We are celebrating the largest enrollment in our 60-year history, and the positive media attention we continue to receive from athletics is contributing to the increased interest in attending Florida Atlantic. White came over to the Owls from the University of Missouri in 2018, where he held a variety of roles and learned how a program operates at an SEC level and since coming to FAU has attempted to operate athletics as close to a major program as possible. “Florida Atlantic is a special place, and I’m so fortunate to work alongside the talented coaches, staff and student-athletes in our tireless pursuit of championships,” said White in a FAU press release. “The success we have experienced as a department is only possible because of the alignment and leadership in place. I extend my thanks to President Stacy Volnick, the Board of Trustees and our board chair, Piero Bussani, for their support of and belief in the mission of athletics. We are building something that can be a point of pride for the fans, students, alumni and the hometown residents of Boca Raton as well as all of Palm Beach and Broward counties. The future is incredibly bright for the Owls and the best is yet to come!” The Athletic Director at a non-power program in todays college landscape is not an easy job by any stretch, however White has advanced FAU up the ladder athletically, rising conferences and improving brand awareness across all sports. FAU has lept head first into the uncharted waters of NIL, finding a way to retain their roster in Basketball following the final 4 run, and replacing their departed roster with a talented group of new-comers. Football wise, FAU has had the NIL be able to bring in multiple players who were in hot pursuit by power programs, including QB Cam Fancher, S Phil Dunnam, and S CJ Heard, among others, and have recently given their NIL program, NIL in Paradise an on-field logo. In the hiring department, one of Whites first moves was landing Dusty May, which to date has been one of the most important hirings in FAU history. White has also hired Jordan Clark who led FAU to an AAC title in softball, along with Tom Herman in football, and his newest signing being John Jakus to replace the aforementioned May. White has also been a successful fundraiser, as he secured the donations that led to recent renovations at Eleanor R Baldwin Arena and the Hagerty Family Athletics Village, having an ability to fundraise both for the Schools needs and NIL. Having a leader set in stone in todays wild-west of college sports is something that is a huge advantage for FAU as they attempt to keep FAU on the rise athletically. White could have been a hot name on the AD market as his success at FAU has been recognized on a wide landscape, also having been named to the Sports Business Journals 40 under 40 list in 2023 and FAU securing him for the next 5 years is a major commitment to the continued success of Athletics. FAU will be looking to continue their ascent across college sports as their recent success in basketball has led to a large growth both athletically and in the University as a whole, and White can now think long-term on how to continue that growth.
