Coach Tasha Butts (1982-2023)
By • October 26, 2023 0 1231
Georgetown University is mourning the loss of their women’s basketball coach Tasha Butts after a two-year battle with breast cancer. Butts was just 41 years old.
The university hired former WNBA player Butts (a 5-foot, 11-inch forward) in April. Butts had previously coached at Georgia Tech as an assistant coach and associate head coach.
In late September, Butts announced she was taking time away from her work to focus on her health. She was replaced by associate head coach Darnell Haney, who will now serve as interim coach when the basketball season begins in November.
Tasha Butts on the GU campus. Photo from GeorgetownWBB on X.
When Butts was on staff at Georgia Tech, the school made appearances two years in a row in the NCAA tournament. That season, the Yellow Jackets ranked as high as 11th nationally. In December 2021, Butts was diagnosed with advanced metastatic breast cancer. The diagnosis led to the “Tasha Tough” campaign that brought awareness and funding to care for women who can’t afford it (through the Kay Yow Cancer Fund).
Georgetown President John J. DeGioia called Tasha’s passing a “devastating loss.”
“She was extraordinary,” he added. “Tasha was a person of character, determination, vision and kindness. She will be deeply missed by our community and by so many people around the country who have been inspired by her life. We offer her family our most sincere condolences.”
In a news conference celebrating her new role, Butts excitedly shared that the coaching position had always been a dream of hers. “I am elated that I will have the opportunity to mentor, develop, and coach these young women,” she added.
Lee Reed, Francis X. Rienzo Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, said it is a “difficult time for the entire Georgetown community, and we will come together to honor her memory.”
Butts is survived by her parents, Spencer, Sr. and Evelyn, of Milledgeville, Georgia, her brother Spencer, Jr. and her nephew Marquis.
