Kevin M. White was named Duke University's vice president and director of athletics on May 31, 2008. He also serves as an adjunct professor of business administration at the university.
 
White, 58, joined the Duke family after leading Notre Dame's athletics program to success both on the playing fields and in the classroom from 2000-08. He also has held a number of prominent national leadership roles within intercollegiate athletics, including his service in 2006-07 as president of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and in 2005-06 as president of the Division I-A Athletic Directors Association.
 
Guided by the Strategic Plan that was approved by Duke's Board of Trustees in April of 2008, White made an immediate impact on Duke Athletics. He reshaped the organization into a more efficient and modern department; strengthened ties to both campus and community constituents though consistent outreach efforts; successfully oversaw Duke's fundraising efforts during an economic downturn; completed partnerships with major corporate entities to enhance revenue streams; commissioned a master facilities plan to position Duke well into the 21st Century; and emphasized a stronger commitment to the university's intramural, club and recreational sports programs.
 
In his first year at Duke, White oversaw a program that won a national championship (women's tennis) - the school's 10th overall - and four ACC titles (men's basketball, men's lacrosse, women's tennis and volleyball). Duke placed 17th in the 2009 Learfield Sports Directors' Cup standings, which determines an institution's all-around strength in intercollegiate athletics. The Blue Devils' 891.80 points in the all-sports competition were the third-most for the school, and its was the sixth consecutive year Duke has ended among the nation's top 20 programs. Six Blue Devil teams ranked among the nation's top 10 teams during their regular seasons and two - men's basketball and women's tennis - reached No. 1. In all, 13 Duke teams advanced to postseason competition in 2008-09.
 
Individually, 27 student-athletes earned All-America, 39 All-ACC and 26 All-Region honors in 2008-09. Duke boasted two NCAA individual champions in Becca Ward (women's fencing, saber) and Mallory Cecil (women's tennis) and six Blue Devil athletes were individual ACC champions.
 
Academically, Duke teams continued their strong performances as 25 of 26 Blue Devil varsity teams earned grade point averages of 3.0 or better during the 2009 spring semester, marking the first time in Duke Athletics history that occurred. A total of 429 Duke student-athletes registered a 3.0 or higher grade-point average during the 2008-09 campaign. Former women's tennis player Parker Goyer was a Rhodes Scholar award winner, while track athlete Sally Liu earned a prestigious Marshall Scholarship.
 
In two key elements in tracking a department's academic success, Duke ranked among the nation's best again. Duke posted a 97% Graduation Success Rate (GSR) and 19 teams achieved a 100% GSR. Twelve Blue Devil teams were ranked in the top 10% of their respective sport in the most recent Academic Performance Rate (APR) Report.  Duke had the only football program in the ACC to qualify for this recognition and was one of just three schools from the six BCS conferences honored. Four Blue Devils received ACC Postgraduate Scholarships -- Amanda Blumenherst (golf), Kim Imbesi (lacrosse), Melissa Mang (tennis) and Peter Truszkowski (fencing).
 
Under White, Duke has continued its focus on outreach to the local community. Modeling the NCAA CHAMPS/Life Skills program's commitment to service, learning projects and outreach, close to 500 Duke student-athletes across the department participated in a combined effort of more than 1,300 community service hours (based only on activities and events coordinated through and reported to Student-Athlete Development during the 2008-09 year). 
 
White, who holds a Ph.D. in education, has taught graduate-level classes since 1982 and currently teaches a sports business course in Duke's Fuqua School of Business as part of Duke's MBA program.
 
In August 2003, SI.com (the Sports Illustrated web site) listed White, then at Notre Dame, third in its rankings of the most powerful people in college football. In January 2004, The Sporting News listed him in its Power 100 as third among five names in the "front office" category (and the lone college athletics director among the 100).
 
White previously served on numerous NCAA committees, including being an ex-officio member of the NCAA Committee on Academic Performance and a member of its Penalty and Rewards subcommittee. Additionally, White was a representative with the football Bowl Championship Series and was part of the NCAA Coalition on Intercollegiate Athletics (COIA) that dealt with academics, fiscal reform and student-athlete well-being.

Given his background and success, it is not surprising that 16 current or former directors of athletics were mentored by White. That impressive list includes Jim Sterk of Washington State, Tom Boeh of Ohio University and Fresno State, Ian McCaw of Northeastern, Massachusetts and Baylor, Bruce Van De Velde previously of Utah State and Iowa State, Herman Frazier previously of Hawaii, Rudy Keeling formerly of Emerson and now commissioner of the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC), Scott Devine of St. Mary's College (Md.), Tim Van Alstine of Western Illinois, Mark Wilson of Tennessee Tech, Bubba Cunningham of Ball State and Tulsa, Sandy Barbour (who followed him at Tulane) of California-Berkeley, Jim Phillips of Northern Illinois and Northwestern, Bernard Muir of Georgetown and Delaware, Sandy Hatfield-Clubb of Drake, Vic Cegles of Long Beach State, and Norwood Teague of Virginia Commonwealth.
 
Prior to joining Notre Dame in 2000, White served as athletic director at Arizona State University, Tulane University, the University of Maine and Loras College in Iowa, where he originated the National Catholic Basketball Tournament.
 
Before becoming an administrator, White served as head track and field coach at Southeast Missouri State (1981-82) and assistant cross country and track and field coach at Central Michigan (1976-80). He began his coaching career at Gulf High School in New Port Richey, Fla., coaching cross country and track and assisting in football and wrestling.
     
White earned his Ph.D. from Southern Illinois University in 1983 with an emphasis on higher education administration. In 1985, he completed postdoctoral work at Harvard University's Institute for Educational Management. He earned his master's degree in athletics administration from Central Michigan University in 1976 and his bachelor's degree in business administration in 1972 from St. Joseph's College in Rensselaer, Ind., where he also competed as a sprinter.
     
White and his wife, Jane, a former college track and field coach, have five children and eight grandchildren.