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Transitioning to a new program -- a head coach's guide

AP Images/Nick Lisi

Every spring coaches are fired or change jobs and new coaches are hired. Some are let go because they didn't win enough games, and some move on to new opportunities. In the end a new coach is hired to either create a renaissance or take the program to the proverbial next level. Understand that when there is a change, most programs make a significant commitment to the new coach.

Typically these changes happen immediately after the season, but Florida was a different case with Billy Donovan departing last week for the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder. As a result, a top-20 program had an opening and filled it, this time with former Louisiana Tech coach Mike White.

What is the process like for the coach when he accepts a new position? What is he trying to accomplish in his first days, weeks and months? How does the coach prioritize? How different is Mike White's transition to Florida from Shaka Smart’s at Texas or Ben Howland’s at Mississippi State? Let’s take a look.