GAINESVILLE — Gainesville has found its next girls head basketball coach.
If you're trying to pattern your program after one of the most successful girls teams in the state, then finding someone that's been inside one is who you get.
Vanessa White played for and coached under, Buford girls coach Gene Durden. She was a stand-out point guard at Dade County when Durden was there. She also assisted Durden at Buford.
Now, the 2022 Region 8-7A Coach of the Year will take over the Lady Red Elephants.
“My first steps with the Lady Red Elephants will be to get to know the players and find out who they are as people and student-athletes,” White said. “I’m excited about the journey. It will be full of peaks and valleys, but we’ll cherish the peaks and grow from the valleys. I know the opportunity at GHS will make me a better person, teacher, and coach and I’m excited to get started influencing and impacting these girls and the Gainesville community in a positive way.”
Gainesville athletic director Adam Lindsey said he's excited to have White on board.
“Considering her pedigree as both a player and a coach, we’re excited about the future of Lady Red Elephant basketball under coach White,” Lindsey said.
White has spent the last six seasons building the Peachtree Ridge girls into a state tournament team.
When she arrived at Peachtree Ridge, the Lady Lions hadn't posted a season over .500 and had only one season with double-digit wins (12-12) since 2008.
After her first season (7-19), White's teams posted 10 wins or better, including two Region 8-7A title game appearances and three straight Class 7A tournament berths (2020-2022).
The Lady Lions finished 21-7 this season and was a perfect 9-0 in region play but lost to Mountain View in the semifinals of the region tournament. As a No. 3 seed, they upset South Forsyth in the first round and narrowly lost to second-ranked Brookwood in the second round, 48-39.
She's posted a 52-25 record over the past three seasons.
