Amanda Kay Butler (born March 6, 1972)
is an American
college basketball
In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...
coach and former player. In 2018, Butler was hired as the head coach of the
Clemson Tigers women's basketball
The Clemson Tigers women's basketball team represents Clemson University in women's college basketball competition. The Tigers compete in NCAA Division I as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Clemson won the ACC women's basketball t ...
team. Prior to that, she was the head coach for the
Florida Gators women's basketball
The Florida Gators women's basketball team represents the University of Florida in the sport of basketball. The Gators compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The Gator ...
team and the
Charlotte 49ers women's basketball
The Charlotte 49ers women's basketball team represents University of North Carolina at Charlotte in women's basketball. The school competes in the Conference USA in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The 49ers play ...
team.
Career
Amanda Butler was born in
Mt. Juliet, Tennessee
Mt. Juliet (also referred to as Mount Juliet) is a city located in western Wilson County, Tennessee. A suburb of Nashville, it is approximately east of downtown Nashville. Mt. Juliet is located mostly between two major national east-west routes ...
, in 1972. She attended Mt. Juliet High School, graduating in 1990.
[GatorZone.com, Women's Basketball, Coaching & Support Staff]
Amanda Butler
. Retrieved June 7, 2011. She was recruited to play for the University of Florida by the Gators' head coach,
Carol Ross
Carol Ross (born June 11, 1959) is an American college and professional basketball coach. Ross has served as the head women's basketball coach for the University of Florida and the University of Mississippi, and also as the head coach of the Los ...
, and started at
guard
Guard or guards may refer to:
Professional occupations
* Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault
* Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street
* Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning
* Prison ...
for four years. After finishing her playing career in 1994, she transitioned into coaching. Her first coaching job was as an assistant coach at Florida, where she continued her education with a master of science degree in exercise and sport science in 1997. After leaving her job with Florida in 1997, she coached at
Austin Peay
Austin Peay (June 1, 1876 – October 2, 1927) was an American politician who served as the 35th governor of Tennessee from 1923 to 1927. He was the state's first governor since the Civil War to win three consecutive terms and the first to die ...
from 1997 to 2001, and served as the associate head coach for former Charlotte head coach
Katie Meier
Katie Meier (born December 19, 1967) is head coach of the women's basketball team at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. She is a 1990 graduate of Duke University, where she played college basketball.
As of 2022, Meier has the mo ...
from 2001 to 2005.
Butler became the sixth head coach of the
Charlotte 49ers
The Charlotte 49ers are the intercollegiate athletics teams that represent the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in Charlotte, North Carolina. The 49ers compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level as a ...
women's basketball program on April 19, 2005. She was named Atlantic 10 Conference Coach of the Year after twenty wins and a share of the regular season championship in her first year as coach.
After
Carolyn Peck
Carolyn Arlene Peck (born January 22, 1966) is an American television sportscaster and former college basketball coach. She was the head coach for the women's basketball teams of Purdue University and the University of Florida, and also the first ...
was released as the Gators head coach following the 2006–07 season, Butler returned to her
alma mater as the new head coach of the Gators women's basketball program on April 13, 2007. She was fired on March 6, 2017, her 45th birthday.
Butler then was hired on as head coach at
Clemson. Butler lead an incredible turn around in her first year at Clemson. In their previous season, the Tigers finished 11–19 and 1–15 in ACC play. Butler led the team to a 9–7 ACC record and was voted the ACC Coach of the Year in 2018.
The Tigers turnaround during Butler's first season marked the largest turnaround under a first-year head coach in ACC history.
USA Basketball
In 2009, Butler served as an assistant coach to the
U19 team, and competed in the
FIBA Women's U19 World Championship. The USA lost the opening round game against Spain 90–86, but then went on to win their next eight games. In the quarterfinals, the USA team faced France, which held an eight-point lead late in the second half, but the USA team took back the lead and won by eleven to advance to the semifinals. After beating Canada in the semifinals, they had a rematch against Spain, for the championship. This time the USA jumped out to an early lead, with a score of 33–16 at the end of the first quarter. The USA went on to win 87–71 to win the gold medal.
Head coaching record
See also
*
Florida Gators
The Florida Gators are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Florida, located in Gainesville. The University of Florida, its athletic program, its alumni and its sports fans are often collectively referred to as t ...
*
History of the University of Florida
The history of the University of Florida is firmly tied to the history of public education in the state of Florida. The University of Florida originated as several distinct institutions that were consolidated to create a single state-supported un ...
*
List of University of Florida alumni
This list of University of Florida alumni includes current students, former students, and graduates of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. Honorary degree recipients can be found on the List of University of Florida honorary degree ...
*
University Athletic Association
The University Athletic Association (UAA) is an American athletic conference that competes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) Division III. Member schools are highly selective universities located in Georgia, Illinois, Mis ...
References
External links
Gators women's basketball
{{DEFAULTSORT:Butler, Amanda
1972 births
Living people
American women's basketball coaches
American women's basketball players
Basketball coaches from Tennessee
Basketball players from Tennessee
Charlotte 49ers women's basketball coaches
Clemson Tigers women's basketball coaches
Florida Gators women's basketball coaches
Florida Gators women's basketball players
People from Mount Juliet, Tennessee
Point guards