Tripathi thanks White for service and success as UB athletics director

BUFFALO, N.Y. – University at Buffalo President Satish K. Tripathi sent a letter to the university community today thanking UB Athletics Director Danny White for his contributions to the university and congratulating him on being named athletics director at University of Central Florida (UCF).

UCF announced White as its new athletic director this morning. He will be introduced at a news conference to be held Thursday on the UCF campus in Orlando.

“While we will all be sorry to see Danny and his family go, I know I speak for our entire UB community — and Bulls fans everywhere — in wishing him much continued success, and in expressing my deep appreciation for his achievements and contributions as UB director of athletics since his arrival in 2012,” Tripathi said.

Tripathi said he will give careful consideration to the university’s next steps in “in identifying a leader to guide the athletics program’s continued upward trajectory.”

“I anticipate sharing more details with the campus community in the coming weeks,” he said.

White’s achievements at UB have left the university very well positioned for continued success in building a great Division I athletics program that competes among the best in the nation, Tripathi said.

“Under Danny’s leadership, and the leadership of his coaches, athletics staff and student athletes, our UB athletics program has made tremendous strides over the past four years,” he said.

In the past academic year alone, UB’s student athletes brought home three Mid-American Conference championships (in women’s soccer, men’s basketball and men’s tennis) and an NCAA championship in track-and-field.

Last spring, UB’s men’s basketball team made UB’s first appearance in the NCAA basketball tournament, and UB’s women’s basketball team represented UB in the National Invitational Tournament for the first time.  

And for seven consecutive semesters under White’s leadership, UB athletics teams have earned a collective GPA of 3.0 or higher.

“These achievements speak to an intercollegiate athletics program that is uncompromising in pursuing academic and athletic excellence. Those values resonate very strongly with UB’s vision as a premier university,” Tripathi said.