UCF isn’t there yet, but White is constructing a front office that’s primed to make the most of the surrounding market and UCF’s stature as one of the fastest-growing schools in the country.

In just 16 months on the job, White has made UCF one of the schools to watch nationally because of major changes within the athletic department that he expects will significantly affect its revenue capability. UCF has created in-house operations for sponsorship sales, outbound ticket sales and premium seat sales, functions that most schools outsource to third parties.

White, a former basketball player at Notre Dame, started his career in coaching at Ohio University, but “I saw a lot of really good coaches who were journeymen and never got a chance. The uncertainty of never knowing if I’d ever get a chance to be a head coach bothered me. As an administrator, I thought I’d have more control over my career.”

With a father, Kevin, the AD at Duke, and a brother, Brian, working in Missouri’s athletic department, administration seemed like a natural fit for Danny. Only brother Mike, the head basketball coach at Florida, managed to escape the front office and stay on the court.

Most recently, White put the Knights in the headlines for conceiving a $25 million athletes village, which includes a lazy river, beach volleyball court, miniature golf and a new nutrition center for the athletes.

“We want to accentuate all of the positives of being a UCF student athlete,” White said. “Instead of building another traditional brick-and-mortar building, let’s create a recreational and social space that puts people in close proximity, not in silos. We want the volleyball athlete to get to know the softball athlete.”

— Michael Smith