Bio

In the summer of 2022, R.P. White was named the new head coach of the Hillsdale College track and field and cross country teams, taking on a new challenge after building up a strong record working with Hillsdale College's distance runners in two stints and a combined 10 years as an assistant coach in the program. In his first season in charge of Hillsdale's track and field and cross country programs, White led the Chargers to five All-American honors across the cross country, indoor and outdoor seasons, while also guiding the Hillsdale women to runner-up finishes in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference in all three seasons.

It's the latest step in a career at Hillsdale that's seen White rise from a part-time assistant when he was first hired at Hillsdale in 2011 all the way to the top position. 

White first worked for the Chargers from 2011 to 2014, helping coach Amanda Eccleston (Putt) to three national championships in 2011-12 in his first season with the program, and also kicking off the career of Emily Oren, who would go on to become a nine-time national champion and one of the greatest athletes Hillsdale College has ever produced.

After two years away from coaching, White returned to Hillsdale College in the fall of 2016 as a full-time assistant under then-head coach Andrew Towne. Since making his return, White has helped coach seven G-MAC championship teams in women's cross country and track and field, and worked with Charger All-Americans Molly Oren, Hannah McIntyre, Arena Lewis, Ally Eads and Maryssa Depies on the women's side, and All-Americans Joseph Humes  and Caleb Gatchell on the men's side.

Most recently, in 2022, White helped freshman Liz Wamsley earn G-MAC Outdoor Track and Field Freshman of the Year honors, and saw Wamsley, Gwynne Riley and Margaret Scheske earn bids to repreesnt the Chargers at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Championship meet in distance events.

White has strong ties not only to Hillsdale College but to the Hillsdale area, having competed in track and field and cross country at nearby Hillsdale High School from 2001-05. After his highly successful prep career, White joined the track and cross country teams at Eastern Michigan University, where he continued to rack up honors for his expertise in distance events.

He played a big part in the Eagles winning a total of eight MAC championships during his career, helping make EMU a dominant track and field/cross country program in the MAC. He was a team captain of EMU’s cross country team in his senior season.

In 2010-11, White served as a volunteer assistant coach for women’s cross country and track at Eastern Michigan. With White on the coaching staff instead of the track, he helped the Eagle women win the 2011 MAC Indoor Women’s Track championship, the first such title for the program in 10 years.

White graduated from Eastern Michigan with a degree in geography, to go along with a minor in earth science.