In 2007, the Cooperstown community, students, faculty, friends, and family lost one of its greatest assets to cancer, Coach Dick White.  Many of his former players, fellow coaches, and other individuals he affected returned to Cooperstown to honor his memory from all across the country.  While he is no longer with us, Coach Dick White will live in our thoughts and our memories.  It has been over twenty years since Coach White walked the sidelines of the Bursey Gymnasium, but his legacy continues to live with those who played for him and watched him coach. 

 

Young students growing up in Cooperstown looked forward to the day that they could play for Coach White.  He always took time to teach basic basketball fundamentals, including proper shooting form, and he always beat you to the hoop one-on-one.  Day after day, year after year, Coach Dick White spent his life assisting and helping community youth to develop into competitive student athletes on the basketball court.

 

In 2007, the Cooperstown Sports Booster Club renamed the Cooperstown Boys Holiday Tournament after Coach Dick White.  Coach White is a member of the Section III Boys Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame.  In 27 years as Head Coach of the Cooperstown Central School Boys Basketball teams, Coach White led his teams to a 410-155 record.  They won 14 Center State Conference Championships, five Section III Championships, and many holiday tournament championships.  In 1987, Coach White led the Cooperstown Central School Boys Basketball team to the NYPHSAA Final Four, where they lost to Rochester Wilson at Broome County Arena.

 

Coach White was twice named Coach of the Year by the Oneonta Daily Star.  He was a member of the National Association of Basketball Coaches for 23 years and twice held the position of high school representative of the NCAA convention. He was also a member of the Basketball Coaches Association of New York State and won Honor Awards from the New York Coaches Association.  

 

In 1996, Coach White was presented with a Good Sportsmanship award from the Utica Basketball Officials IAABO Board #51.  In 2000, the Clark Sports Center of Cooperstown presented the prestigious Patrick C. Fetterman award to Coach White for dedication to youth in our community.  Coach White also founded and directed the Cooperstown Basketball Day Camp from 1979-1996 and coached and lectured at many summer basketball camps throughout Central New York.  

 

Coach White was a member of the Mathematics faculty at Cooperstown Central High School from 1962-1997 and coached JV basketball, Junior High School baseball, and Varsity basketball.  His Varsity tenure included 1969-1996. In 2018, the Cooperstown community mourned the loss of Janet White, Coach White’s devoted wife since 1960 and the Cooperstown Boys Basketball unofficial team's Mom for many years.  Their three children, David, Amy, and Jonathan, remain committed to supporting our Cooperstown Basketball community, and we are grateful for their dedication and support.