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Butler Wills UF Into Winning Program

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By MICK ELLIOTT

melliott@tampatrib.com

Published: March 5, 2009

GAINESVILLE - There is a story often told about University of Florida women's basketball coach Amanda Butler from her Lady Gators playing days between 1990 and 1994. The fiery point guard had a shoulder that would often dislocate during practice. Instead of calling for a trainer, Butler would simply smash the shoulder against the nearest wall until it popped back into place.

Any questions as to why, in their second season under Butler's coaching direction, the Lady Gators will take 23-6 and 9-5 records into the women's SEC Tournament that begins play today in Little Rock, Ark.?

As the fourth seed, Florida will play its first game Friday, meeting the first-day winner between No. 5 Tennessee and No. 12 Alabama.

"It's a sad commentary on my career as an athlete that the most memorable thing is my injuries," Butler said.

As a coach, however, it reveals Butler's message loud and clear.

The Lady Gators were 9-22 two years ago, the season before Butler returned to UF following two years as head coach at UNC Charlotte. This year they climbed to a No. 9 ranking, the best in program history, before a late slump took away some of their bounce.

Nevertheless, the team is built in the image of their coach. The Gators are an undersized group whose tallest starter is 5-foot-10 forward Marshae Dotson, but make up for any lack of size with a gunslinger attack that averages a conference-best seven 3-point field goals per game.

Senior point guard Sha Brooks is among the SEC leaders with team highs in scoring (16.4) and assists (4.8). Dotson is averaging 13.2 points, hitting 60 percent of her shots, and grabbing seven rebounds.

"One of the reasons why this team has been so successful this season is because they are a confident bunch," Butler said. "We want to make sure that we play with enough confidence, aggressiveness and a little bit of that swagger."

Women's basketball at Florida has relevance. Only here and there over the years has the program inspired more than quick, passing interest. Never have the Lady Gators won an SEC title, only once - 1997 - even making into the conference tournament final. Just this season the Gators earned the program's 300th all-time home win.

Butler has the Gators thinking bigger things.

"You want to be around her," UF associate athletic director of women's sports Lynda Tealer said. "She is passionate about Florida being successful. She wears that. It's not hard to get behind her. She was going to will this thing forward."

Reporter Mick Elliott can be reached at (813) 281-2534.

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