COLORADO CITY, Colo. — Sharman White, considered one of the top high school coaches from Pace Academy in Atlanta, was named the USA Basketball Men’s U16 National Team head coach.
Mike Jones, who had been named head coach, is unable to do so after becoming an associate head coach last week at Virginia Tech.
Earlier this month, White was named an assistant along with Eric Flannery of St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio). With Jones heading to the college ranks, Steve Turner of Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) fills the assistant opening.
The USA will compete in the 2021 FIBA Americas U16 Championship, where the top four finishing teams will earn a berth into the 2022 FIBA U17 World Cup.
“We wish Mike Jones all the best in his new position, and we are grateful for all that he has given to USA Basketball,” said Sean Ford, committee chair and USA Basketball Men’s National Team director. “We were fortunate to be able to look to coaches such as Sharman White to become the head coach and Steve Turner to complete the staff. Steve has worked camps for USA Basketball, and Sharman and Eric also have worked camps, in addition to serving as gold medal winning U16 and U17 coaches. We are excited to gather in Houston for our minicamp.”
Two dozen athletes have accepted an invitation to the USA Juniors minicamp set for this weekend (May 27-30) in Houston.
Along with the USA men’s U16 coaches of White, Flannery and Turner, Dominic Amorosa of Strake Jesuit (Houston) and Scott Fitch of Fairport (N.Y.) will serve as court coaches for the May minicamp.
White will undertake his 10th USA assignment. He was named head coach of the 2020 USA Nike Hoop Summit Team, but the event was cancelled due to the pandemic. In 2019, White helped lead the USA to a gold medal as an assistant for the 2019 U16 team, and he was a gold medal winning assistant for the 2015 USA U16 team. He was a court coach at the 2019 USA Men’s Junior National Team minicamp and the 2018 USA U17 training camp and a four-time court coach at October minicamps (2014, 2015, 2018 and 2019).
“I am humbled by such an awesome opportunity to enhance my service with USA Basketball,” White said. “I have learned so much from coach Showalter and coach Jones during my tenure with USAB, which gives me the confidence to be able to step into this role and be successful. Having a great staff with the likes of coach Flannery and coach Turner allows our players to learn from two of the best coaches in the country.”
White recently completed his third season in 2020-21 at Pace Academy, No. 16 in the Blue Star Media Elite 25 rankings, and this past season he led his squad to a 28-2 record, a 2021 Georgia 2A state title and the first round of the GEICO Nationals.
Overall, he’s compiled a 449-106 record (.809 winning percentage) in 23 terms.
Turner will undertake his fourth USA Basketball gig. He has served as a court coach at the 2019 USA Basketball Junior National Team October minicamp, the 2019 USA U16 National Team training camp and the 2019 JNT July minicamp.
“It’s an honor and a blessing to have the opportunity to be able to coach with some unbelievable coaches, who are a couple of the best coaches in our professional high-school level, but also to be able to have the opportunity to represent our country,” Turner said.
Turner recently completed his 17th year at Gonzaga, where he has a 396-133 mark. Gonzaga did not compete in 2020-21 due to the pandemic, but in 2019-20 Turner led his team to a 25-10 record and a District of Columbia State Athletic Association Class AA state championship. In 2018-19, the Eagles finished 28-9 and won a Washington Catholic Athletic Conference championship for the fourth time in Turner tenure.
Played every two years, the FIBA Americas U16 Championship debuted in 2009, and the USA men have won gold in all six editions going 31-0 in the process.
In 2021, the FIBA Americas U16 Championship will feature North American teams Canada and the USA; Centrobasket representatives Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and one team still to be determined; and South American representatives Argentina, Brazil and Chile.
