John Marshall basketball coach leaving for Petersburg High

John Marshall boys basketball coach Ty White, who turned the small Richmond high school into a national powerhouse, announced Monday afternoon he is leaving to become the coach at his alma mater, Petersburg High School.

White was named the national high school boys basketball coach of the year in 2023, when his John Marshall team was ranked the nation's best by MaxPreps. White also oversees the Team Loaded travel teams, and helps run the Team Loaded Foundation, a nonprofit associated with the program.

Petersburg has a rich basketball tradition, including legendary coach Bill Lawson and one of the game's all-time great players, Moses Malone.

The school announced a press conference for 4 p.m. on Monday with a community-wide pep rally at 5:30 p.m. The announcements contained branding for Adidas, which sponsors White's travel teams, and the Team Loaded Foundation.

A major move

On March 13, John Marshall set a VHSL record by scoring 107 points in a state title victory.

Five days later, Petersburg's City Council went into closed session to discuss "the award of a public contract involving the expenditure of public funds, and discussion of the terms of scope of such contract" with Team Loaded.

Coming out of the closed session, the council unanimously directed the city manager and city attorney to review and develop a memo of understanding with Team Loaded.

It is not out of the ordinary for a city to give funds or other support to a nonprofit, and the Team Loaded Foundation has been awarded in the past for its work in the community, including meal distribution and the renovation of a basketball court.

However, the timing of the meeting will raise questions about whether the proposed contract may have been connected with White leaving John Marshall and joining Petersburg as its new coach.

Petersburg officials were not available over the holiday weekend. Reached Sunday night, White said he would chat further at Monday's event.

Impacts at John Marshall

A Facebook page representing John Marshall's athletic alumni posted a thank-you note to White on Facebook Sunday evening.

"Beyond the banners and trophies, what stands out most is how you empowered young men to believe in themselves and rise to the moment. Your influence reached far beyond the court, and for that, we are deeply grateful," the post read. "We wish you nothing but continued success and fulfillment in your next chapter."

With just 542 students, John Marshall is one of the Richmond area's smallest high schools. As other city schools began to excel in football over the past few years, John Marshall remained a local basketball power.

It remains to be seen if White's players will seek to leave John Marshall and attempt to enroll at Petersburg.

High school athletes in Virginia are allowed to move and play for a new team without a waiting period, but they cannot be recruited by that school. Last year there was a high-profile case in Northern Virginia involving the mass transfer of players.

Football coach Darryl Overton was hired away from Freedom High School in Prince William County to Hayfield High School in Fairfax County.

A number of the coach's players joined him, leading to accusations of illegal recruiting of players. In Virginia, public schools are banned from recruiting athletes who play for other Virginia public schools.

The controversy led to an investigation by the VHSL. Overton's school won a court injunction to participate in the playoffs, then withdrew from the postseason.

Overton left Hayfield in January to lead a private school team in Northern Virginia.