Tasha Butts, Ex-GA Tech And Current Georgetown Basketball Coach, Dies

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Tasha Butts, ex-associate head basketball coach at Georgia Tech and current Georgetown University head basketball coach, has died at the age of 41.

Butts died Monday after a two-year battle with breast cancer, Georgetown announced on its website. She was in her first year of head coaching.

“I am heartbroken for Tasha’s family, friends, players, teammates and colleagues,” Lee Reed, Francis X. Rienzo director of intercollegiate athletics, said in a news release.

“When I met Tasha, I knew she was a winner on the court, and an incredible person whose drive, passion and determination was second to none. She exhibited these qualities both as a leader and in her fight against breast cancer. This is a difficult time for the entire Georgetown community, and we will come together to honor her memory.”

Butts "stepped away" from her coaching role in September to prioritize her health, Georgetown said.

“Tasha’s passing is a devastating loss," Georgetown President John J. DeGioia said in the release. "She was extraordinary — 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."

Butts, a Milledgeville native, was a consensus All-American and the Georgia Gatorade Player of the Year while at Baldwin High School.

"She remains the all-time leading scorer at the school and her high school jersey, No. 23, was retired in December 2000. Four years later, the City of Milledgeville honored Butts with a key to the city and a proclamation of achievement on 'Tasha Butts Day,' Georgetown said.

Fast forward, Butts graduated with a bachelor of science in sports management with a business administration minor from the University of Tennessee, where she played basketball for Hall of Fame Coach Pat Summitt.

She went to the Sweet 16 her first year, moving on to the 2002 Final Four in her sophomore year.

"She helped the Lady Vols to back-to-back National Championship games, and as a senior, Butts earned All-SEC Second Team honors after averaging 10.4 points per game and ranking second in the league in three-point field goal percentage (43.0). Additionally, Butts was part of four SEC regular season championship teams, as Tennessee compiled a 55-1 SEC record in her four years. She left UT ranked fourth all-time in games played (141) and tied for seventh in three-point shots made (103)," Georgetown said.

Then came the 2004 WNBA Draft, when Butts was drafted by the Minnesota Lynx as a 20th pick. During her rookie season, Butts played in all 30 games "helping the club equal a franchise record with 18 wins and earn a spot in the playoffs," Georgetown said.

After a stint as a graduate assistant coach for the Tennessee Lady Vols in 2005 before playing overseas in Portugal and Israel, she eventually returned to the WNBA to join the Charlotte Sting and Houston Comets.

She also spent eight seasons as an assistant coach for Louisiana State University, three seasons as an assistant coach for the University of California, Los Angeles and one season as an assistant coach at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

And finally, in April 2019, came Georgia Tech - where Butts was chosen for the 2020 Women Coaches NEXT UP Program in her first year as assistant coach. She was also chosen in 2021 and 2023 for the Advancement of Blacks in Sports Watchlist, Georgetown said.

She was initially Georgia Tech's assistant coach before being promoted in April 2021 to associate head coach.

"She helped guide Georgia Tech to back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Tournament during a global pandemic and advanced the team to the Sweet 16 for the second time in the program’s history. During the 2021-22, the Yellow Jackets ranked as high as No. 11 in the Associated Press poll and continued a 240-game winning streak against unranked opponents," Georgetown said.

It was while at Georgia Tech in November 2021 that Butts announced she was battling advanced stage metastatic breast cancer. She remained active in the program while undergoing treatment.

"The diagnosis inspired the Tasha Tough campaign, in which Georgia Tech athletes helped bring awareness and raise money to bring quality care to women who can’t afford it through the Kay Yow Cancer Fund," Georgetown said.

Patch is working to get comment from Georgia Tech.