“Work hard, do the best job you can, and then the next opportunity will open up.”
Lance White, the head coach of women’s basketball at the University of Pittsburgh, sits down with us in this episode of the 35,000 Feet podcast and gives us insight into his journey as a basketball coach. He talks about how his team has grown, how he became a basketball coach, and some of his favorite travel experiences from basketball!
In this episode, we discuss:
How this past season went for the University of Pittsburgh Women’s Basketball team (0:15)
How Coach White got into coaching (3:15)
Lance’s favorite travel experience (8:05)
One thing that no one knows about Lance (12:54)
Lance’s advice to athletes wanting to play in college (14:44)
Lance’s next adventure (16:52)
Recap of the 2019-2020 University of Pittsburgh Women’s Basketball Season
Morgan: We're excited to have you for this podcast. Can you tell us about the highs and lows of your current season?
Coach Lance: Yeah. No. I think the high was watching the growth of our team. We had seven new players this year and five of them were freshmen. I think the evolution and the growth of those players and to see them come in as, what we always deem, silly freshmen, and then to watch them grow as the year went on, was probably the high. And we had a chance to play ACC tournament, win the first-round game against Notre Dame and then going into the second round. And so I think that was ultimately the high of that season of watching those kids grow. And the low was probably, again, watching them grow.
Morgan: Yeah, yeah.
Coach Lance: It's the painstaking evolution of them just day after day of not understanding and not getting what we want quick enough and fast enough. And so I think that part of it was probably the lows of just not reaching them quick enough, and not being able to push the right buttons early enough to get them the ultimate success, which is in our world, a win early enough.
Morgan: Wow. Well, it sounds like you're on the grind of things and you guys are working hard.
Coach Lance: Yeah, absolutely. That's been so fun about this group, and they're competitive and they work extremely hard. And in our world at the Power Five level is that unfortunately, they're just freshmen and they don't know what they don't know and they're learning and growing. But it is, it's just a completely different game from the high school game to the college game.
Morgan: I know, it's so cool. And we can tell that the hard work's paying off. What would you say in practice is helping you guys?
Coach Lance: Yeah. It's repetition. It's doing the same thing over and over, and as they gain more confidence and terminology and again, you come into a college season with so many young kids and new players, is that there's no one ahead of them that knows what we're doing as well. So then it's, everything is new. And so that's been our biggest challenge and issue this year of just getting them to the point where a practice helps, is every day they grow and they learn something that they didn't know yesterday, and then they become better players.
Morgan: Yeah. Like fundamentals and patience?
Coach Lance: Oh, absolutely. Making reads and understanding defensively rotations. And too for them, they've never played together. And so just that familiarity with each other and all of that becomes the longer you play, the better you become together as a team.
Morgan: It's true. Yeah, it becomes like a team family kind of.
Coach Lance: Absolutely. Yeah.
How Lance White Became a Basketball Coach
Morgan: Yeah. Well, that's awesome. And I can tell you're a great coach. How did you even get to this point, to becoming a coach at Pittsburgh?
Coach Lance: Well, it all starts, as a young kid, I always loved sports and the game of basketball. And so I knew I would be around the game in some aspect. And whenever I went off to college, I quickly learned that I wasn't going to be good enough to play at the college level, and so I had to figure out a way to merge and be a part of the game. And so I wrote Marsha Sharp a letter at Texas Tech, and it was the closest school to me and just said, "I'd love to hang around and be a part of your team and practice." And she allowed me to come on as a manager. And so that was the year that we won the national championship with Sheryl Swoopes.
Morgan: Wow.
Coach Lance: So my first taste of college basketball was being able to win a national championship, which was just crazy.
Morgan: What? Yeah.
Coach Lance: And so then from there, I've really spent the last 20 years of trying to emulate that success. And so it was really, then I went from being a manager to a student assistant to a full-time assistant, to then getting the opportunity to move to Florida, being part of Florida State and Sue Semrau's staff for 15 years. And then I got the opportunity to move to Pittsburgh and lead my own program and in a conference that I love. And so it is, it's all of those steps leading to this opportunity that I now get to run my own program.
Morgan: Oh, that's so cool. It shows that hard work pays off.
Coach Lance: And too, that never was my original goal was to be a head coach. Is I've always believed that you get into where you're at and you work extremely hard and you do the best job you can, and then the next opportunity will open up. And that's what it's been for me. I've just, you get in and you put your head down and you work as hard as you can. And then, whenever something arises, then you take it. And so I've never been someone who's always looking ahead to the next jump, the next move. It's about being great at where you are.
Morgan: Oh, I love that. Once you start working, another door opens.
Coach Lance: Exactly, yeah. And in our business, it's such a competitive atmosphere, and everybody is always trying to jump to the next spot, "Where can I get?" And that's never been my focus, is I love building. I love the interaction between the players and the coaches and how do we get that group, those young women, to be the best version of themselves all the time. And that's always been my focus, is how do I get them better? How do I get myself better? And then opportunities have opened up for me. And I've been really, really fortunate.
Morgan: Wow. That's awesome. Thank you so much for sharing that story. That's so cool.
Coach Lance: Oh, you're welcome. Yeah, this is great.
Morgan: I know, I love seeing how coaches get to where they're at, from where they started.
Coach Lance: And there's a million different ways to get to that, that end result, and everybody has their own story. And as we build our teams too, it's that everybody's got a story and now what are you going to do with your story? From now you get to write the next chapter. And so what are you going to do in this next part of this book that is going to set you apart and really you get to write it.
And that's what I love about what I get to do, and watching these young women prepare for life. And they get to write the next chapter, "Now get busy. You don't want to waste time. Let's go."
Morgan: Yeah. It's true. And it's like, you're building not only athletes, but people that are going to go into the world and make a difference.
Coach Lance: That's exactly right. And that's what ours is so much ... It's life and 360, is that we're basketball coaches and that's where I make my living. But for me, it's so much more than that. It's who they become as students, who they become as young women. And that's what we talk about all the time. And their development, is that if you want to go somewhere where it's just basketball, Pitt is not the place for you, is that we want to deal with life. And how do we prepare you through basketball to then be prepared for life.
And so that's what we do every day. My staff, I've got an incredible staff. All of us have that same mission of how do we help and mentor young women to be the best versions of themselves all the time.
Coach Lance White’s Most Memorable Travel Experience
Morgan: What are your most memorable travel experiences?
Coach Lance: Oh, wow. As I grew up in Spur, Texas, and it's a small town outside of Lubbock, that as a small kid we would take vacations 70 miles up the road to Lubbock, Texas. And again, that was about as far as we would go. And so then, as a high school senior and as I went off to college, I had never been on an airplane.
Morgan: Oh, wow.
Coach Lance: And it's just crazy those years, and that's just the way we were brought up. And you would go everywhere in a car. And so whenever I got at Texas Tech and Coach Sharp, we made it to the NCAA tournament, and we were going to Missoula, Montana to play in a Sweet 16 round. And that was the first airplane I'd ever been on.
Morgan: Oh, wow.
Coach Lance: And so I always say, is that that little round ball, that basketball, has now taken me around the world. And it's from all over the world, literally, Italy to South Africa to Seattle, to everywhere in the world. And so I always thank the game of basketball for allowing me to see the world.
And so I would think we get to take a four-year tour, international tour, every four years. And so one of our trips was to South Africa, and that might be one of my greatest trips ever. You go to Joburg and really go into some of the townships, and then go down to Cape Town where it's just beautiful. And so it really was a great, great trip.
Morgan: Wow, South Africa. I bet it was beautiful.
Coach Lance: Oh, and just such a learning experience for our players. And you talk about giving back and how fortunate we are, and they were able to sit across from the South African national team and just share their stories. And hearing 18 to 22-year-old women talk about the path that they've had to be on that national team. And it was really so good for all of us to hear their struggles, their victories. And even though we're so different, is that how similar that we really all are.
Morgan: That's so true. You learn so much from college sports to traveling, you could learn a lot from anywhere.
Coach Lance: Yes. It is, and that's right. I love being able, is that on my team now, I have four international players from Amsterdam to Greece to London to ... And then we have players from Louisiana to Georgia to national players, and just their experiences are so different. And yet we're still all the same, is that we have the same fears and same joys. And just to watch that interaction and as they talk different, they look different, they think different. But then at the bottom of under, you get through all those layers and you find out how similar we all are.
Morgan: It's so true. It's so true. Thank you. Those are some good words, and it's true. We're all different, but we're all similar. You can find something similar in everyone.
Coach Lance: And so as our world's gotten so polarized, is that's what I love about sports, is that you bring all these people together from all different parts of the world, and then now we're all on ... As we're trying to do one thing together and have a great basketball team, have a great college experience. And I just love being able to build that and make that happen together.
Morgan: Oh, I love that. I bet it's fun finding players that are all as determined to learn these things and work hard, so that's awesome.
Coach Lance: It is. The recruiting piece is always the hardest piece, because again, it's such a competitive world and you're trying to find the right fit, and the right group of women that all want the same thing, but bring different skill sets. And it is, recruiting's the hardest piece of our job.
Morgan: It's true. But it seems like you're doing a great job at it.
Coach Lance: Well, thank you for saying that.
Morgan: Yes, yes, yes.
Coach Lance: We've still got a lot of work to do, but it is. It's been really, really fun work.
Something No One Knows About Coach White
Morgan: It's always a growth experience, and I can tell your team's only going up from here and you're already doing great. So, that's awesome. What is one thing that no one knows about you that you can share?
Coach Lance: Oh my goodness. One thing that no one knows about me. Okay, let's see. Well, and some people may know this, but I'm an avid TV junkie, I love ... I can get caught up in reality TV for days, just love it, from-
Morgan: Funny.
Coach Lance: And it's just the silliest, like 90 Day Fiancee to The Bachelor to ... It's just what I would ... And please, I hope no one's ... Trash TV at its finest is just-
Morgan: That's so funny.
Coach Lance: Oh, I can get caught up in that world, oh, for ...
Morgan: That's so funny.
Coach Lance: Unfortunately, some people already know that about me, but yeah. Below Deck and all of those Bravo, it just is awful.
Morgan: The Bachelor even.
Coach Lance: Oh, yes. Watched the ladies Tell All just the other night. I always tell my wife is that I have to do it for research because again, recruiting and all of those type players, is that usually they're watching some of that stuff. And so that's why I have to do it.
Morgan: You have to be in the end. You have to know.
Coach Lance: Thank you. I had to know some of that stuff.
Morgan: Yes.
Coach Lance: And it's probably just because I like it,
Morgan: Hey, nothing wrong with that.
Coach Lance: That's right.
Morgan: That's awesome. Well, thank you for sharing that with us. Now we know, now we know.
Coach Lance: Now you know. Now there's more to me than ... Now moms and some of them are scratching me off their recruit list.
Coach White’s Advice to Future Athletes
Morgan: That's so funny. If you're an athlete wanting to play for a team or university, what would your advice be to that athlete?
Coach Lance: Yeah. Obviously it's finding the right fit. And obviously you have to be great at what you do. And I would tell young athletes too, is that, "You have to be the best at something." Whether that be shooting the basketball, whether you're an awesome defender, screener, whatever you do, you've got to be really, really good at something. And then you've got to have all of those external complementary pieces with that. And is that, not everyone's going to be at the Division One, Power Five level.
But that's not as important as finding a great fit for you, is that some players go and pick schools that don't fit them, is that their style of play, they're ... Is that you've got to go into it as educated and know what you want from those four years, or you're going to be disappointed, as well as the school. And so I always say is that, no, it's a business at this level, and is that we've got to find the right fit and who's in that position. And is that we need a post, "It's nothing to do with your level, it has to do with we need this skillset."
But those for me is what becomes most important, is you got to be really, really good at something and be better than everyone else. And then you've got to find the right fit. And with that is, it still has to do with, "Are you eager to learn, are you excited about that next level? And can you get better?" And those things encompass a lot of stuff, but it is, it's you've got to be really, really good at something. And then you have to find the right fit for you and what you're looking for.
Morgan: That's so true that ... No, that is so good. Looking for that well-rounded athlete that is going to come and help your team.
Coach Lance: Yep, exactly right.
Coach White’s Next Adventure
Morgan: But what's your next adventure?
Coach Lance: Yes. Well, again, as the season winds down, and so now we're on the recruiting trail and we'll hit junior visits. We do in-home visits with juniors, coming up all of this month. And so I'll be out on the road coming to a home near you.
Morgan: Oh, really.
Coach Lance: It's literally what ... Yeah, so we go pretty much all over, as now we're working on that junior class and then we'll be out on the road and away at camps and stuff this summer. But yeah, now it's time to recruit, get better skill-wise and just really look for that next group of Pitt Panthers.
Morgan: Oh, that's awesome. Well, thank you so much for letting us get a glimpse into your wonderful team. It's been great talking to you, Lance. Thank you so much.
Coach Lance: Well, thank you so much for having me. I really appreciate the opportunity to come and share my story. And hopefully inspire, help someone who's in the same boat who wants to be recruited or get to that next level.
Follow University of Pittsburgh Women’s Basketball
Podcast made in partnership with Acanela Expeditions
Theme Song - I’ll Just Be Me by Gravity Castle