Home Coaches Longtime W&J Coach Jim White Passes Away

Longtime W&J Coach Jim White Passes Away

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Jim White, who spent over three decades coaching at Washington & Jefferson College, passed away on July 25th at the age of 84. White coached wrestling, football, tennis and served as Associate Director of Athletics during his long career with the Presidents. As wrestling coach, he led the team to 212 wins, three conference championships, coached 25 individual PAC champions, and had five NCAA All-Americans. He was inducted into the NWCA Division III Hall of Fame in 1997.

W&J mourns passing of former coach James (Jim) White

WASHINGTON, Pa. — Legendary Washington & Jefferson College coach and administrator James (Jim) A. White passed away Wednesday, July 25 at the age of 84.

White impacted the lives of Washington & Jefferson College student-athletes for over three decades. He was inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 1994 and was a 2013 inductee into the Washington & Jefferson College Athletic Hall of Fame.

White served as the head men’s tennis and wrestling coach from 1965-1997 and also spent 21 years as an assistant football coach at the college. For over 20 years, he coached a sport during every season of the academic year: football (fall), wrestling (winter), tennis (spring). He served as head or assistant coach on 89 different W&J athletic teams.

“Jim White was beloved by the student-athletes he coached and the colleagues he worked with,” said Director of Athletics Scott McGuinness. “Our current coaching staff strives to make meaningful impacts like Jim accomplished every day of his career. A true W&J President, he will be greatly missed by the W&J community.”

White, who also served as Associate Director of Athletics during his W&J career, guided the Presidents’ wrestling program to three of the program’s five Presidents’ Athletic Conference championships (1965, 1966, 1995). The 1965 title came during his first year as a coach.  White’s tennis teams also enjoyed tremendous success, winning the only four conference team, championships in school history (1967, 1968, 1969, 1986). White coached 66 PAC individual tennis or wrestling champions, five NCAA All-Americans and two CoSIDA Academic All-Americans.

“He was more than a coach, but also a mentor and a father figure,” said Angelo Morascyzk ’77, who wrestled for White and also served as an assistant wrestling coach with White when starting his coaching career. “As an 18 year old trying to make a decision on where to attend college, I knew I’d be in great hands with Coach White. His caring and compassionate side was easy to see. Coach White was a natural fit for NCAA Division III athletics. His teams had a lot of success, but it wasn’t about the wins and losses. For Coach White, he wanted his athletes to enjoy the entire student experience at W&J.”

Upon his retirement, White received an honorary doctorate from W&J and with his wife, Claire, relocated to Long Beach Island, New Jersey in 1997. For the next 17 years, White was employed at Loveladies Tennis Foundation every summer, where he lived out his dream of playing tennis every day. Two of his daughters, Laura Anne Bartley ’89 and Lisa White ’91, are Washington & Jefferson College graduates.

James White obituary – https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/manahawkin-nj/james-white-7943595