Josh White, the former Owensboro Catholic and Kentucky Wesleyan College football and track and field standout, has been named to the USA Track and Field coaching staff for the upcoming 2025 Summer World University Games that are set to be held in Germany from July 16-27.
The World University Games are similar to the Olympics, but only allow college students to compete. Athletes have to be between the ages of 18-25 and must be currently enrolled and taking classes in college.
A former javelin thrower, White has been the throws coach for Rhinehardt University in Georgia since 2021 and will be joined by one of his current athletes, David Friedberg.
“I am pretty excited. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” White said. “To be a part of the Team USA coaching staff is pretty cool.”
White’s track and field career dates back to his time at Owensboro Catholic, graduating in 2006 and then later founding and competing for KWC’s track and field program. He later returned to KWC and became their throws coach from 2018-2021, which officially started his coaching career.
“I knew I enjoyed coaching from the start,” White said. “My first year, when my javelin thrower won his first national title, I realized that this might not be just a flash in the pan, a short-term thing. I could make a career out of this. I knew I enjoyed coaching from the get-go, but it probably wasn’t until the Spring of 2022 that I realized I could go somewhere with this.”
After three years, he moved to Georgia to join Rhinehardt as a graduate assistant while he completed his master’s in sports administration and leadership. When White arrived at Rhinehardt in 2021, Freidberg was entering his sophomore season and hadn’t thrown a javelin until he arrived.
“He had thrown at a couple of meets, but he never really had somebody teach him,” White said. “of So we kind have been along this journey together, basically starting from scratch. Most of the time, when you get an athlete, they have already done a number of years of an event, so you come in the middle of their journey. It is really cool that we have been on this journey basically since day one together, so to be able to continue that in Germany this year and then hopefully in three years from now in Los Angeles at the Olympics is really cool.”
Team USA is bringing 14 athletes on the throws side, and despite White not having met everyone in person due to the college track and field season just ending, he has high expectations.
“I genuinely think we have a chance to bring back several athletes,” White said. “Two of our athletes just won Division 1 national titles in individual events. My javelin thrower that I coach individually was seventh at the Olympic trials last year and set the NAIA record. In addition to those, we have a ton of people who were competing at the NCAA D1 National Championships and did well against other collegiate athletes. I think we did a great job of putting together a really competitive squad that is going to be able to contend for a number of medals on the throws side of things.”
