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5h ago

Mike White, Former Cal, Illinois and Raiders Coach, Dies at 89

He was best known for guiding Illinois to the Rose Bowl after the 1983 season.

Former Illinois football coach Mike White, pictured while coaching the Raiders in the mid-1990s. (Gary Reyes/San Jose Mercury News)
FILE – Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Ernie Zampese, center, talks with Oakland Raiders head football coach Mike White, left, and Raiders owner Al Davis, right, after the teams worked out in Austin, Texas, Aug. 1, 1995. Zampese, one of the architects of the Dan Fouts-led “Air Coryell” offense with the San Diego Chargers and Troy Aikman’s play-caller for the last of the Cowboys’ three Super Bowl titles in the 1990s, has died. He was 86. (AP Photo/Harry Cabluck, File)
Nov 2, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; A detailed view of CD ad AL decals in the memory of Carol Davis and Al Davis on the back of the helmet of Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Darien Porter (26) during the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.

Overview

  • Cal said White’s family confirmed he died Sunday in Newport Beach, California.
  • He led Illinois from 1980–87 with a 47-41-3 record and three bowl trips, highlighted by a 9-0 Big Ten season in 1983 and the program’s first Rose Bowl in 20 years.
  • The 1983 Illini are the only Big Ten team to defeat every other conference opponent in a single season, according to Illinois’ sports information department.
  • His Illinois tenure drew NCAA penalties that included a 1984 postseason ban and a 1985 television ban, and he resigned after the 1987 season.
  • White earlier coached Cal to a 1975 Pac-8 co-title and later worked in the NFL, leading the Raiders in 1995–96 (15–17) and assisting with the 49ers and the Rams’ 1999 Super Bowl champions.