Amanda Butler fired as Clemson women’s basketball coach
Amanda Butler’s tenure as the Clemson women’s basketball coach is over.
Clemson fired Butler on Tuesday after six seasons with the program, The State has confirmed through a source with knowledge of the move. She had a 81-106 overall record there with two winning seasons and one winning ACC season.
The school announced the news shortly after noon Tuesday.
“I thank Amanda for her contributions to our basketball program as head coach for the past six seasons and wish her the best in the future,” athletic director Graham Neff said through a school statement. “We are committed to completing a national search for the next leader of the program as the sport continues to grow. We believe that we are resourced and supported in a way to make this one of the top teams in the nation every year.”
Clemson’s 2023-24 season ended last Wednesday in a first round ACC Tournament loss to Boston College. The Tigers finished 12-19 overall and 5-13 in ACC play.
Butler finished her Clemson with a 43.3% overall winning percentage and 30.5% winning percentage in the ACC, which is widely regarded as one of the most competitive conferences in college women’s basketball.
The Next Hoops was the first to report Butler’s firing on Tuesday morning, and TigerNet.com also confirmed the transaction early Tuesday.
As Clemson starts a national search for its next women’s basketball coach, TigerNet said that two names to watch are Coastal Carolina coach Kevin Pederson (a Clemson alum and coaching veteran in the state of South Carolina) and Chattanooga coach Shawn Poppie (who’s led the Mocs to consecutive NCAA Tournaments).
Butler in the summer of 2022 signed a contract extension through 2027 and was making an annual base salary of $305,000. She was also set to made $170,000 in supplemental compensation in 2023-24, according to a copy of her contract obtained by The State via public records request, bringing her current salary to $475,000.
According to the terms of Butler’s contract, Clemson must pay her 50% of her remaining base salary plus supplemental compensation, “but not to exceed $200,000,” in the event it fires her without cause.
Butler’s buyout was previously $275,000 but dropped to a maximum of $200,000 for the remainder of the term starting May 1, 2023, per her contract.
Neff, Clemson’s athletic director since late 2021, did not hire Butler as Clemson’s women’s basketball coach (former Clemson AD Dan Radakovich did that in 2018). But he did give her a summer 2022 contract extension during his first year on the job before making the decision to move on from Butler on Tuesday.
Extended struggles for program
Butler’s best year at Clemson was her first after being hired in 2018. The Tigers won 20 games in that 2018-19 season and had a winning record in ACC play (9-7). They made the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2002.
Her only other winning season came with 19 victories across 19-16 in 2022-23. That year, Clemson made a solid run in the Women’s National Invitational Tournament (WNIT) and reached that tournament’s “Super 16” round.
But the 2023-24 season continued a long run of struggles for the program overall. Over the last 22 years, the Tigers have just one NCAA appearance, one NCAA win and one winning season in ACC play (all in 2018-19).
Butler’s replacement will be the fifth full-time coach Clemson has employed since Jim Davis, the program’s all-time winningest coach, stepped down after the 2004-05 season.
Since Davis stepped down, Cristy McKinney (2005-10), Itoro Umoh (2010-13), Audra Smith (2013-18) and Butler (2018-24) led Clemson to one combined NCAA Tournament.
Butler, 52, coached at Florida for 10 seasons before being hired at Clemson. Before coaching the Gators, she was also head coach of Charlotte for two seasons.
Clemson WBB’s record by year under Amanda Butler
2018: 20-13 (9-7 ACC)
2019: 8-23 (3-15 ACC)
2020: 12-14 (5-12 ACC)
2021: 10-21 (3-15 ACC)
2022: 19-16 (7-11 ACC)
2023: 12-19 (5-13 ACC)
Total: 81-106 (32-73, ACC)
