Kenneth White is in his seventh year on the Fighting Camel staff and fifth as assistant coach. He spent two seasons as director of player personnel (2015-16) and director of basketball operations (2016-17) before being promoted to assistant coach.
Over the past five years, White has helped lead the Camels to 89 victories and three post-season berths – both tops in Campbell’s Division I era, which stretches to the 1977-78 campaign.
During that span, the Camels have claimed three Big South trophies. Campbell won the 2019 Big South regular season title and finished as Big South tournament runner-up in 2017 and 2021.
Campbell’s .630 winning percentage (17-10) in 2020-21 marked the program’s highest since the 2009-10 team finished 19-11 (.633).
After the Camels were picked 10th in the 2020-21 Big South preseason poll, White helped guide the team to a 3rd-place finish in the regular season (11-6), then CU claimed wins over Gardner-Webb and Radford to reach the league final.
The Camels reeled off a school Division I era (since ‘77-78) record 9-game win streak to reach the Big South Championship game.
He coached a pair of Big South all-conference honorees in 2020-21 – Cedric Henderson, Jr. and Jordan Whitfield. Whitfield was joined on the Big South all-tournament team by Ricky Clemons.
The Camels led the Big South Conference – and ranked 10th in the nation – in team field goal percentage in 2020-21. CU’s 58.5 field goal percentage in the Big South semifinal win at Radford set a school mark for highest team FG% in Big South tournament play. The Camels made a season-high 67.1 percent of their shots vs. Florida National (12/10), one day after making 60.5 percent vs. New Orleans. CU hit 62 percent from the floor in an 84-83 loss Dec. 30 at eventual Big South champion Winthrop.
In addition, Campbell ranked fourth in the country in points after called timeouts and 25th nationally in 3-point accuracy (.375).
Cory Gensler was named the 2020 Big South men’s basketball scholar-athlete of the year and the Camels ranked among league leaders in free throw percentage, turnover margin, assists, steals and assist-turnover ratio.
The 2018-19 Camels compiled a 20-13 overall record and their first league regular season title since 2010 by posting a 12-4 record and earning the top seed in the conference tournament for the first time. CU earned the Big South’s automatic berth to the NIT – another program first – and produced the program’s first 20-win season in a quarter century.
The 2019 Camels ranked among the country’s top 20 schools in turnovers per game, fewest turnovers, turnover margin, assist turnover ratio and free throw percentage.
CU won the Rose Hall Division of the Jamaica Classic and went on to claim 12 league wins, the most by a Campbell squad since 2010. CU also set new school single-game (3,351) and single season (2,196 average) attendance records during the 2019 campaign.
During his time at Campbell, White also mentored Chris Clemons, the 2016 Big South freshman of the year and 2019 league player of the year. Clemons became the first Camel to earn All-America honors on the Division I level after leading the nation in scoring (30.1) as a senior in 2019. Clemons scored a school and Big South single-season record 993 points in 33 outings in ’18-19. He finished his career third all-time among NCAA Division I scorers with a league record 3,225 points and tied the national record by scoring in double figures in 115-straight games. Clemons signed a free agent contract with the Houston Rockets.
The 2017-18 Camels reached the semifinal round of the College Basketball Invitational (CBI). For the second-straight season, Campbell won two post-season games – defeating Miami (Ohio) of the Mid-American Conference and Sun Belt member New Orleans before dropping a 3-point decision at West Coast Conference member San Francisco.
CU led the Big South Conference (and ranked 33rd in the nation) in field goal percentage (.477) in 2017-18, while rating second in the league in 3-point accuracy (.388, 29th in the country) and free throw shooting (.750, 51st in the nation).
Campbell recorded 19 wins in 2016-2017, the second most victories in the school’s Division I history. After reaching the title game of the Big South Conference Championship, the program also recorded its first ever post-season win by advancing to the quarterfinals of the CollegeInsider.com tournament.
In his role as assistant coach, White is involved in all aspects of the program with specific responsibilities of serving as the program’s defensive coordinator and overseeing guard development.
While serving as Director of Operations, White was in charge of internal scheduling, served as liaison to the compliance office, oversaw team managers, handled equipment orders and ticket requests and assisted on scouting reports. He joined the program in the summer of 2015 as Director of Player Development.
Before moving to Buies Creek, White spent six years as head boys’ basketball coach at Lausanne Collegiate School in Memphis, Tennessee.
While at Lausanne, White led his team to the 2013 state championship, two regional championships, and a pair of district titles. Eleven of his players went on to play college basketball, including Cameron Payne, who was the No.-14 selection in the 2015 NBA draft. He also attracted former Kentucky forward and future Sacramento King, Skal Labissiere, and University of Florida signee, Isaiah Stokes.
White has an extensive basketball history, encompassing years of coaching and playing experience on the high school and collegiate levels. He played at national powerhouse and eight-time national champion, Oak Hill Academy, under legendary coach Steve Smith, where his team was ranked as high as No.-2 in the Nation by USA Today.
Upon graduation, White continued his career at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was a member of the 2000 Final Four Team coached by Bill Guthridge. He earned his B.A. in psychology from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2001.
In 2001, White returned to his hometown of Chattanooga to coach girls’ high school basketball at Tyner Academy. There, he helped turn that program into one of the most respected programs in East Tennessee. During his four years there, the team won four district regular season titles, four district tournament titles, one regional championship, and was named Chattanooga Times-Free Press City Team of the year, twice.
In addition to his experience on the high school level, White has served as a head coach in the M33M Elite AAU program. He and his wife Erika are parents of two sons, Garrison (14) and Keegan (10).
