THE ARCHITECT OF CHAMPIONS THE SHARMAN WHITE STORY
In the world of basketball, few names command the level of respect and national recognition as Sharman White (’95). A mentor, a leader and a builder of programs, White has created a reputation of developing national talent on the court. He traces his success back to his first basketball coach.
“He was a pretty straight forward, hard-nosed guy,” White recalled. “I lived in the projects of Decatur, Georgia. So, it was good to just have a male figure that was a disciplinarian and things like that for us growing up.”
White was a 10-year-old center playing for his elementary school team where there was no messing around in practice. Players would be “chewed out” for bad plays and it was all about learning the business of basketball. Even then, White saw the leadership and personal opportunities his favorite sport could bring him.
His calling into coaching took root in his youth, when he found himself instinctively directing his childhood friends during their games around the neighborhood.
“I saw them out there playing,” he said. “I would say, ‘All right, you go here and you go here.’ But I’ve always had an instinct to teach. And I think that’s why I went into education.”
His initial academic path was far removed from coaching — he enrolled at Georgia Southern University as an accounting major. But after a life-changing encounter with a young boy trying to raise money for his local team, White realized that his true passion lay in education and mentorship.
“I had a couple dollars in my pocket, so I took it out and I gave it to him,” he said. “I can remember vividly seeing the look in that young man’s eyes and the hunger wanting to do something great. And I just felt that connection at that point. That day was the day I went to the guidance counselor’s office and I changed my major.”
Sharman’s career began immediately upon his graduation from Georgia Southern. His first head coaching job was at Carver High School in Atlanta, where he inherited a struggling basketball program. His first year saw a modest 11-17 record, but he quickly instilled a culture of belief, discipline and relentless preparation.
His players saw his dedication — not just to the X’s and O’s, but to them as individuals. By his third year at Carver, White had taken the team to the state championship game. Though they fell short, his name was now one of the most sought-after in Georgia high school basketball.
With his growing reputation, White was offered multiple coaching positions. But rather than taking over an established program, he chose Miller Grove, a new high school where he could build from the ground up.
“Lo and behold, we built that program and we made it into one of the most elite programs in the country,” he said. In his time with Miller Grove, he and his squads collected six consecutive state championships; seven in eight years.
White’s dominance in high school caught the attention of college programs. He joined Georgia State University’s coaching staff under Ron Hunter, an experience that allowed him to test his abilities at the collegiate level, and keep his family in their Atlanta home.
His prominence in growing basketball programs was soon recognized by USA Basketball, which oversees many youth basketball teams that compete in the International Basketball Federation (FIBA). In 2014, White was invited to help run a mini camp for some of the nation’s best youth basketball players.
“They were really auditioning me for a spot on the staff for the upcoming summer,” he quipped.
White became an assistant coach for the 2015 FIBA Americas U16 team, which is made up of America’s top 16-year-old basketball players. White returned to the team again in 2019. Both squads were undefeated in international play and earned gold medals.
In 2021, he became head coach for the USA Basketball U16 and U17 teams. From 2021 through 2024, White’s teams collected four additional gold medals.
“The medals are great to look at for motivation and reminiscing,” he said. “But I’m always looking for the next thing. And my wife gets on me about that because she says I gotta enjoy the moment.” He’s helped develop NBA prospects, but for White, the experience has been about more than just winning. His coaching philosophy centers on belief, preparation and adaptability.
“I’ve never looked at one of these situations as something that would be bigger than what I’m capable of,” he said. “I go into it with the mindset of having a job to do. I think preparation is a big part of who I am. If you’re prepared, it allows you to be confident in whatever you do.” Today, White is the head coach and associate director of athletics for Pace Academy in Atlanta. With Pace, he has added three additional state championships to his lengthy coaching resume.
Whether turning struggling high school programs into powerhouses, guiding the nation’s top young athletes to international gold or shaping the next generation of talent, White has become synonymous with development and success. But to him, basketball has always been more than just a game — it is a calling, a ministry and a pathway to developing young men on and off the court.
“My message has been about how to become successful,” he said. “What experiences are needed, how all those things that you go through are part of the path, and how you handle those things and treat each one of those experiences. It’s about learning from them.”
—Jacob Notermann