He developed Joe Roth, Chuck Muncie and Steve Bartkowski at Calhttps://t.co/Vh8wDlOlZ0

— Jeff Faraudo (@JeffFaraudo) December 15, 2025

Go Bears!

I'm sure Mike White is ancient history to anybody under the age of 50, but to us older Bears, he was everything that we now hope Tosh will be. Cal football was mired by years of grinding mediocrity, not to mention on NCAA probation. As a Cal student, going to a football game in 1972 was an incredibly uncool thing to do.

We all know that Cal has probably lost more recruiting battles against Stanford than it's won. Well, Mike was the OC at Stanford under John Ralston (another Cal alum) and when Ralston went to the NFL, Mike was offered the HC job at both Stanford and Cal.

When he arrived Mike was such a breath of fresh air! It took a couple of years to see real results, but that 1975 team, at least the offense, was really something. NCAA leader with perfect balance (to the yard, if I recall correctly) between running and passing. I don't think I've ever experienced anything quite like that game against USC. The atmosphere in the stadium the entire game was absolutely electric!

Yeah, I know about the subsequent recruiting violations and his firing, and I don't know if anybody ever saw Muncie in a classroom during his three years at Cal (I certainly didn't, but athletics and engineering rarely mix at Cal), but Mike was a Cal guy who came home to lead the team. RIP, Mike!

Great childhood memories of his Cal teams. Some wonderful afternoons in the canyon. One in particular was he and a shirtless Muncie waving and speaking to a couple thousand delirious fans from the north balcony after the upset of USC in 1974. Thanks coach!

Marty said:

---

Great childhood memories of his Cal teams. Some wonderful afternoons in the canyon. One in particular was he and a shirtless Muncie waving and speaking to a couple thousand delirious fans from the north balcony after the upset of USC in 1974. Thanks coach!

---

I wish we could revive the tradition of coaches speaking from the north balcony.

southseasbear said:

---

Marty said:

---

Great childhood memories of his Cal teams. Some wonderful afternoons in the canyon. One in particular was he and a shirtless Muncie waving and speaking to a couple thousand delirious fans from the north balcony after the upset of USC in 1974. Thanks coach!

---

I wish we could revive the tradition of coaches speaking from the north balcony.

---

I agree in concept. But would you really want to have listened to Justin Wilcox over the last nine years?

HearstMining said:

---

southseasbear said:

---

Marty said:

---

Great childhood memories of his Cal teams. Some wonderful afternoons in the canyon. One in particular was he and a shirtless Muncie waving and speaking to a couple thousand delirious fans from the north balcony after the upset of USC in 1974. Thanks coach!

---

I wish we could revive the tradition of coaches speaking from the north balcony.

---

I agree in concept. But would you really want to have listened to Justin Wilcox over the last nine years?

---

"We need to play harder"

A Lair of the Bear camp legend as well. Sad day.

cal83dls79 said:

---

A Lair of the Bear camp legend as well. Sad day.

---

I was looking forward to chatting with him at Camp Blue, but he retired right before my family started going.

Very fond memories of the 1975 season. Chuck Muncie, Joe Roth, Wesley Walker, Steve Rivera... and more! By the second half of the season, as things really started to click, we were going to beat almost any other team in the land. Most unfortunate that that wasn't a Rose Bowl year.

RIP Mike White

He was a legend of the Lair of the Bear, Camp Blue. He and his wife Marilyn were managers for several years.

I was a contemporary (student) during White's undergrad years in an era when many athletes were multi-sport competitors. Mike was never a star but competed in football, basketball and track. Whatever his transgressions in recruiting might have been, he stands with Snyder and Tedford as the only football coaches post-Waldorf to field a team capable of competing with the best. RIP.

HearstMining said:

---

southseasbear said:

---

Marty said:

---

Great childhood memories of his Cal teams. Some wonderful afternoons in the canyon. One in particular was he and a shirtless Muncie waving and speaking to a couple thousand delirious fans from the north balcony after the upset of USC in 1974. Thanks coach!

---

I wish we could revive the tradition of coaches speaking from the north balcony.

---

I agree in concept. But would you really want to have listened to Justin Wilcox over the last nine years?

---

No, but I'd love to hear Tosh over the next nine (or more) years!

Marty said:

---

Great childhood memories of his Cal teams. Some wonderful afternoons in the canyon. One in particular was he and a shirtless Muncie waving and speaking to a couple thousand delirious fans from the north balcony after the upset of USC in 1974. Thanks coach!

---

A totally useless bit of knowledge now, but odd years: USC at home. Even years: UCLA and Stanford at home. So your memory is of 1975.

I became a Cal fan for life in 1972 (my first Big Game was Ferragamo-to-Sweeney), so Mike White holds an honored spot in my memory. RIP, coach.

I recall being told when Mike White was hired that Stanfurd alums were gnashing their teeth that we had gotten him from them. White was OC and offensive line coach for, I think, seven years under John Ralston before coming here.

gardenstatebear said:

---

I recall being told when Mike White was hired that Stanfurd alums were gnashing their teeth that we had gotten him from them. White was OC and offensive line coach for, I think, seven years under John Ralston before coming here.

---

And if I remember the story correctly, Mike had Muncie lined up to go to Stanford, but Chuck followed him to Cal instead, transferring in as a sophomore in 1973 from I'm not sure where. Mike was also responsible for the uniform change to the lighter blue, now referred to as the Roth uniforms. The rationale was to signal to everyone that Cal football was changing and, although those unis grate on some alumni nerves, I think that considering the context, it was an inspired thing to do.

HearstMining said:

---

gardenstatebear said:

---

I recall being told when Mike White was hired that Stanfurd alums were gnashing their teeth that we had gotten him from them. White was OC and offensive line coach for, I think, seven years under John Ralston before coming here.

---

And if I remember the story correctly, Mike had Muncie lined up to go to Stanford, but Chuck followed him to Cal instead, transferring in as a sophomore in 1973 from I'm not sure where. Mike was also responsible for the uniform change to the lighter blue, now referred to as the Roth uniforms. The rationale was to signal to everyone that Cal football was changing and, although those unis grate on some alumni nerves, I think that considering the context, it was an inspired thing to do.

---

My five seconds of research say that Muncie transferred in from Arizona Western, a junior college, after graduating high school in Uniontown, PA, about an hour southeast of Pittsburgh.

I try not to care too much about uniforms, although I confess that I think the Mets should go back to the unis (with the blue stripe down the legs) they wore when they won the 1986 World Series.