Eastern Michigan Athletics

Eastern Michigan Basketball

EMU Names Benny White Assistant Men's Basketball Coach

6/13/2011 4:44:05 PM | Men's Basketball

A fixture in southeastern Michigan rounds out the EMU coaching staff

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — Benny White, a fixture on the basketball court and throughout the southeastern Michigan community, has been named an assistant coach at Eastern Michigan University, Head Coach Rob Murphy announced today, June 13, 2011.

"Benny White brings tremendous life skills to our staff," Murphy said of the latest edition to the men's basketball staff. "He will contribute to our player success on and off the court."

The 57-year-old White has spent all but three years of his professional career working in the state of Michigan. A 1977 graduate of Michigan State University, he earned four basketball letters while playing for the Spartans. In addition, he was selected the Most Improved Player in 1973 and led the team in assists during the 1975-76 campaign while serving as a co-captain.

After graduation, White served as a graduate assistant coach for Jud Heathcote for the 1976-77 season before moving on first to Wayne State University (1977-78) as a part-time assistant coach, and then to the University of Detroit (1978-79) as a graduate assistant coach. He was an assistant basketball coach at Albion College (1986-89) before making the jump to the West Coast to work at San Jose State University (1989-91) as an assistant.

White left SJSU after the 1990-91 season to join the University of Detroit men's basketball staff as an assistant coach under Head Coach Perry Watson from 1993-95.

Then in 1995, White was named the head boy's basketball coach at Martin Luther King, Jr. High School in Detroit. Inducted into the Detroit Public Schools Coaches Hall of Fame in 2007, he spent 15 years as the head coach of the Crusaders, compiling a record of 201-89 and sending numerous student-athletes into the Division I ranks. In 2007 he was inducted into the Detroit Public School League's Coaches Hall of Fame.

The 2010 state of Michigan Regional Coach of the Year, White was selected as one of four coaches for Nike's Inaugural Global Challenge Game. The team featured Greg Monroe, who played at Georgetown University, and Kemba Walker, who played at the University of Connecticut, as they combined to take home the championship versus teams from Africa, Canada, China and Puerto Rico.

White also worked as a regional scout for the NBA's Detroit Pistons from 2006 until 2009, while serving as the director for numerous basketball youth camps run by NBA greats Magic Johnson, George Gervin, Derrick Coleman, Dave Bing and Rip Hamilton.

Most recently, White was the executive assistant to the Mayor of Detroit.

A native of Detroit, Mich., White graduated from Northern High School in 1972 after earning All-City and All-State honors as a basketball player.

THE BENNY WHITE FILE
Name: Benny Artis White
Born: May 1, 1954 (Detroit, Mich.)
High School: Detroit Northern
College: Michigan State University - 1977 - B.A. in Urban Development
Family: Wife, Stacie
Children: Demian (12-21-96) and B. Artis (10-16-00)

COACHING/WORK/PLAYING EXPERIENCE
YEAR SCHOOL JOB TITLE-COACHING ASSIGNMENT RECORD/HIGHLIGHTS

2011-12 Eastern Michigan University Assistant Men's Basketball Coach
2009-11 City of Detroit Executive Assistant to the Mayor
1995-10 Martin Luther King H.S. Head Boys Basketball Coach 201-89
2006-09 Detroit Pistons NBA Regional Scout
1995-99 Bing Steel Safety Coordinator/Trainer
1995-07 Detroit Public Schools Special Education/Substitute Teacher
1993-95 University of Detroit Assistant Men's Basketball Coach 29-28
1989-91 San Jose State University Assistant Men's Basketball Coach 15-40
1986-89 Albion College Asst. Coach/Admissions Counselor 40-31
1980-86 Bing Steel Account Executive
1978-79 University of Detroit Graduate Assistant Men's Basketball Coach 22-6
1977-78 Wayne State University Part-time Assistant Men's Basketball Coach 8-19
1976-77 Michigan State University Graduate Assistant Men's Basketball Coach 25-5/NCAA Elite Eight
1972-76 Michigan State University Men's basketball student-athlete 58-44
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Tuesday, October 21
Men's Basketball Alumni Game All Call
Tuesday, October 21
2025 E-Club Athletic Hall of Fame Ceremony
Saturday, October 11
E-Club Hall of Fame Class of 2025 Cinematic Recap
Saturday, October 11