SEC rival indirectly saved Georgia basketball head coach Mike White's job

Georgia basketball's season may have ended in disappointment, but overall this year was a big success. Mike White has a lot to figure out when it comes to winning in March, but Georgia fans want to give him time to figure that out here in Athens.

Unfortunately word quickly spread a few days ago that he was a top candidate for the head coach opening at NC State. White never voiced his thoughts on being targeted for this opening, and thankfully a few other names quickly emerged from the pack as having a lot of interest.

Fast forward to Monday and Georgia fans no longer have to worry as Tennessee assistant coach Justin Gainey accepted the job on Monday.

Georgia survives potential Mike White departure to NC State

NC State hiring a different coach was the best news Georgia fans could've epected to receive. While White's performance in the NCAA Tournament the last two years has been extremely disappointing, it hasn't grown to the level where he needs to be fired.

Georgia hadn't made the tournament in back-to-back years since 2002. So even though their trips to the BIg Dance were a bit embarrassing, getting there two years in a row is a big win for a program like Georgia.

Let's assume for a second that White did leave Georgia right now, who would be the coach that UGA would replace him with? None of the elite coaches would waste their time thinking about coming to Athens and the up-and-coming coaches may not be that interested either. Why would they go to a school that immediately fired or lost a coach who brought the program to heights they haven't reached in two decades?

If Georgia continues to struggle in the tournament or fails to make it there a few years in a row then it will be time to move on from White. But for now he is the best coach possible for Georgia, and if he ends up winning a couple games in the tournament he will become as beloved as Kirby Smart is in the fanbase.