Joe White is credited with pioneering the Allan Hancock College athletic program. His thoughtful leadership managed the present and molded the future of an athletic program that continues to provide educational opportunity for its student participants and a positive profile for the institution. A legendary figure in the sporting annals of Santa Maria, White passed away at the age of 76 in August of 2001.

As head coach of the Allan Hancock College basketball team for the five-year period 1958-62,

White guided his clubs to a sparkling overall win-loss record of 138-29, a winning percentage of .826. In conference games, Coach White's teams were even more proficient, producing a 52-9 mark for a winning percentage of .852.

White served as the Allan Hancock College director of athletics from 1957 through 1982 and was also a biology instructor at the college. During his 26 years of intercollegiate athletic leadership, he oversaw tremendous growth in the department, including the successful advent of women's sport teams in the 1970s. Under Joe's direction, the athletic department produced a tremendous record of competitive excellence, as evidenced by six of the institution's nine state championships having been won on his watch: Orange Show Bowl Football Championship in 1960, men's basketball in 1974, baseball in 1972, men's cross country in 1978 and men's track and field in 1966 and 1967. At the conference level, Allan Hancock collected 44 team-sport titles under his watch, including the college?s first-ever women's-sport championship in basketball in 1976.

Coach White was able to lure great coaching talent to Allan Hancock College. He said, his staff was always the strength of the program. Basketball coaches Sam Vokes, Bob McCutcheon and Dick Valentine added to the tradition established by Bill Bertka, who went on to an illustrious coaching career with the Los Angeles Lakers. His son, Bobby White, also lead the Bulldogs.

On the gridiron, he fostered a tradition of excellence by bringing in future football coaching legends as John Madden and Ernie Zampese. Baseball coach John Osborne started his legendary 31-year coaching career under White and went on to replace him in the athletic director's position. In track and field, he hired Jack Cook, who guided the Bulldogs to two state titles before moving on to a highly successful career at the University of Nevada. Ray Kring followed Coach Cook and maintained a national elite status in both cross country and track for another 15 years.

White was known for inspiring while standing on tradition of integrity, sportsmanship and efficient operation. White becomes the 88th coach to be enshrined into the CCCMBCA Hall of Fame since 1970.

White was a proponent of youth basketball. The Biddy Basketball youth basketball league taught basketball skills and introduced youth to the game. Founded in 1951 by Jay Archer in Scranton, PA, Coach White worked hard to promote the concept throughout the State of California in the early 1950s.