Report: Clemson set to hire Kevin White for key athletics, football hire

Clemson is expected to hire Northwestern's Kevin White for the open athletics administrative role, per ESPN.

Brandon Rink - Assoc. Editor / Staff Writer - Thursday, March 31 2022

ESPN's Pete Thamel reported on Thursday that Clemson is set to hire Northwestern deputy AD/COO Kevin White for the open deputy AD role in the Tigers' athletic department.

Thamel said that the role will specifically oversee football.

Graham Neff filled the spot previously before being promoted to Clemson's athletic director when Dan Radakovich left for Miami in December.

White's most recent bio from Northwestern:

Sport Administrator: Football and Men’s Basketball

Kevin White serves as the Chief Operating Officer for the Wildcats, overseeing the financial operations, business operations, personnel and business contracts along with assisting with the day-to-day operation for the athletics and recreation department. White also serves as the sport administrator overseeing football and men’s basketball working closely with each head coach and their supporting staff members.

Kevin White joined Northwestern as Deputy Director of Athletics & Chief Financial Officer in 2017. In 2021, Dr. Gragg transitioned White to Chief Operating Officer for the department. White came to Evanston from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, where he served as Senior Associate Athletics Director and Chief Operating Officer for the Mustangs.

At Northwestern, White is a part of the Executive Staff that helps to chart the path of the Department of Athletics and Recreation. In his previous role as CFO, he directly oversaw an $110MM+ annual budget, along with overseeing the finance and business operations units; which includes budgeting, financial reporting, short and long-term planning, and capital projects funding, while providing administrative oversight of human resources, information technology and purchasing. White serves as a trusted advisor to the Combe Family Vice President for Athletics and Recreation on all head coach hires and contract negotiations. He also is responsible for football game scheduling and negotiations, as well as postseason bowl planning. During his time at Northwestern, White has also had oversight of the women’s basketball program, men’s soccer, capital projects, facilities, operations and recreation departments. He has also represented the Department of Athletics and Recreation by serving on Northwestern University’s Committee on Institutional Efficiency and Northwestern’s Leadership Development Working Group. White also served on the Northwestern University Retirement Investment Committee (NURIC).

On the national level, White serves on the Big Ten men’s and women’s basketball committee, serves as co-chair on a subcommittee supporting the Big Ten Equality Coalition, and served on the LEAD1 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Working Group.

At SMU, the Chattanooga, Tennessee, native oversaw business operations, human resources, sports medicine, sports performance and equipment departments. In addition to operating as the sport administrator for SMU's women's basketball, and men's and women's soccer programs, White also served on the American Athletic Conference's soccer sport and championship committee. As Chief Operating Officer, he was responsible for the organization through his oversight of the department strategic planning, organized and led all board and council meetings along with department meetings.

White has successfully crafted capital project facility finance plans for nearly $550 million in projects at Southern Methodist University and Northwestern University working collaboratively with university leaders and external lenders throughout the planning, construction and completion of major facility projects.

Prior to joining SMU in 2014, White was the Associate A.D and CFO at Georgia State University where he helped launch the University's FBS football program in 2010. He served as a sport administrator for eight varsity programs in addition to providing oversight of the athletics department budget and football scheduling. Georgia State University recognized his contributions to his profession, community, and to the university by naming him to its inaugural Forty Under 40, Class of 2018.

White earned his undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina in 2001, where he was a member of the junior varsity basketball team. He was a graduate assistant at Georgia State for the men's basketball team while completing his masters of science in sports administration, and earned an MBA from Kennesaw State in 2012.

Over the course of his career, White has served on numerous committees for the Collegiate Athletic Business Managers Association (CABMA). He was selected to take part in the prestigious NCAA Leadership Institute, was a facilitator for the NCAA Career in Sports Forum, and he is a graduate of Division 1A Institute, LEAD1 Institute, McLendon Foundation Summit, and the NACDA Senior Administrators Mentoring Institute.

Kevin and his wife, Jari, reside in Evanston and are the proud parents of Justin, Kamden, and Kinley.

Source: Northwestern deputy AD/COO Kevin White is expected to become the new deputy AD at Clemson. White will oversee football for recently elevated AD Graham Neff.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) March 31, 2022