CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — Clemson fired women’s basketball coach Amanda Butler on Tuesday after six seasons and just one NCAA Tournament appearance.
Butler went 81-106 in her six seasons, including 32-75 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Tigers were 12-19 and 5-13 in the ACC this year.
Their lone NCAA appearance came in Butler’s first season, in 2019. It was Clemson’s first March Madness appearance in 17 years and she was named ACC coach of the year for the accomplishment.
But the team had just one more winning season under her, with Clemson going 19-16 in 2022-23.
Athletic director Graham Neff thanked Butler in a statement and said the team would search for a replacement who could lead the Tigers as women’s basketball continues to grow in popularity.
“We believe that we are resourced and supported in a way to make this one of the top teams in the nation every year,” he said.
That could be a tall order given who leads rival South Carolina in the Palmetto State. Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley has built a powerhouse program only a few hours south of Clemson’s campus and has won its past 13 games in the rivalry series.
Clemson has struggled in women’s basketball for more than two decades. The Tigers reached 13 NCAA Tournaments in 15 seasons under former coach Jim Davis from 1988-2002.
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