Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
White a success each step of way
The second in a series profiling the nine newest members of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony will be held March 29 at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock.
RUSSELLVILLE — Sherry White was never immersed in basketball as a child.
While growing up in Bedford, Texas — which is located between Dallas and Fort Worth — basketball was not a viable option for young girls in the late 1960s or early 1970s. Girls ran track, played volleyball or most likely, stayed away from sports entirely.
But at some point in her childhood, somebody erected a basketball goal in her family’s front yard. It’s a mystery that remains unsolved, White said.
“I don’t know who put it there,” said White. “I don’t ever remember touching a basketball other than in my driveway.”
Basketball has been a major part of White’s life for the last four decades. She was an allstate selection in high school, a record-holder at Arkansas Tech and is one of the winningest high school coaches in Arkansas. Later this month she will enter the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame.
White said it’s an honor and a surprise to be inducted into the Hall of Fame considering her humble beginnings in the sport.
Sherry Raney moved with her father and brother to Bruno (Marion County) when she was 12. She entered the seventh grade never having seen a game of six-on-six basketball and at that time, Bruno High School did not have a girls team.
By 1976, Bruno had consolidated with nearby Pyatt to form Bruno-Pyatt High School. When she was a freshman, White learned the school would soon have a girls basketball team.
“I didn’t know what anything meant,” White said. “I didn’t know the [game’s] terminology. I remember one of the coaches called on me to play. He said, ‘you’ll be a forward.’ I said, ‘What does that mean?’ He said, ‘It means don’t cross that line.’ ”
White was a quick study. “I could shoot a layup, even though I didn’t know what a layup was,” White said. “I call it a God-given ability because no one ever told me what a layup was or how to shoot it. But man was it fun. I had a blast.”
By the time White was a senior, she was averaging more than 30 points a game. She was the district MVP, an all-state selection and even earned a spot on the Arkansas Democrat’s postseason team.
Arkansas Tech Coach Jim Yeager took notice and convinced White to play for the Golden Suns.
At Arkansas Tech, the awards became even more prestigious. She was the Golden Suns’ first All-America selection, earning the honor three times. She is the school’s only four-time all-conference selection. In four years at Arkansas Tech, White played in 114 games, scored 2,248 points and averaged 19.7 points a game.
Arkansas Tech won four conference championships with White on the roster. Those four teams combined for a 102-15 overall record.
“I think Coach Yeager brought in kids who he thought would click,” White said. “And we did. We were all best friends. No one ever got left out. We did everything together.”
As her college career began winding down, White said she had no idea that she wanted to coach, but that she began
filling out applications. Two schools — Gurdon and Mountain Home — showed interest. Mountain Home decided to give the 22-year-old a chance.
“Now that I look back on it, that was a surprise to get that job,” White said. “I was right out of college and it was close to [Bruno]. You couldn’t get a job like that today.”
White has made six coaching stops — Mountain Home (1982-85), Hot Springs (198594), Hot Springs Lakeside (1994-99), Harrison (19992004), Fort Smith Southside (2004-15) and Russellville (2015-present).
“Every place I’ve been has been my home,” White said. “I never had a reason to leave, but I do love change to an extent.”
She won her first state championship in 1990 at Hot Springs, but found her greatest success at Harrison when the Lady Goblins won three consecutive state titles from 2000 to 2002.
“She came to Harrison at a great time,” said Tommy Tice, Harrison’s former athletic director said. “We had some good athletes but Sherry’s organizational skills and her motivational skills just made it a great fit.”
Tice said he sought out advice from then-University of Arkansas Coach Gary Blair as to who to hire for the Harrison job.
“Blair recommended Coach White,” Tice said. “Blair said, ‘White could do more with a smile than what most people can do with a whip and a chair.’ It was the confirmation I was looking for.”
While at Southside, White got to coach her daughter Calli and together they reached the Class 7A championship game in 2013. Currently, White’s son Chase is an assistant coach for his mother at Russellville.
“I trust him 100 percent,” White said of her son. “He reminds me of me.”
And even with all the coaching moves, White’s husband of 32 years (Gary) has been her biggest fan.
“I don’t think I could have had a better supporter,” Sherry White said.
White said her coaching philosophy is a mixture of speed and control.
“I like to push the ball on offense,” White said. “I like to play a man-to-man … I want to see our team get a lot of transition buckets and take advantage of a defense that’s not getting back. I love to press but I’m not always able to do that.”
Retirement is not in White’s foreseeable future.
“The love and passion for the game has kept me in it,” White said. “Then there’s the competitive part of the game. It grows on you. It gets addicting. And then there’s the kids. You love the kids. They will work so hard for you and that’s what I love the most.”