Tragic news in the world of college athletics. Tasha Butts, the women’s basketball coach at Georgetown University, died on Monday, Oct. 23, after a two-year battle with breast cancer. She was 41.
“I am heartbroken for Tasha’s family, friends, players, teammates and colleagues,” Georgetown athletic director Lee Reed said. “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 Rose From Player To Head Coach The Traditional Way
Butts played her college ball at the University of Tennessee for the late Hall of Fame coach Pat Summitt. She left Tennessee ranked fourth all-time in games played (141), won four SEC regular-season titles, and helped the Lady Vols get to two national title games.
The Minnesota Lynx selected Butts with the 20th-overall selection in the 2004 WNBA draft. Butts played for the Lynx in the 2004 WNBA season. She also played for Charlotte and Houston, and played overseas before going into coaching.
She returned to Tennessee as a graduate assistant in 2005. Her career as a coach took her to Duquesne University; the University of California, Los Angeles; Louisiana State University; and Georgia Tech. At Georgia Tech, she served as an associate head coach the last two years before being named head coach at Georgetown in April.
“The news of Tasha’s passing is incredibly sad,” Georgia Tech coach Nell Fortner said in a release. “Tasha was so instrumental to the success of this program. What she did as a member of this coaching staff cannot be undervalued. She was tough — tough on her kids, tough in her expectations, but yet she was soft underneath when players needed her to be there for them, and she was always there for them. We are incredibly sad this day has come. She battled from the day of her diagnosis. We are proud of her fight to the end. We will forever love Tasha. She will forever be missed.”
Late-Stage Cancer Diagnosis
Butts was diagnosed with advanced-stage breast cancer in 2021. She stepped away from Georgetown in September. Her diagnosis inspired the Tasha Tough campaign, which has brought awareness and raised money to bring quality care to women who can’t afford it through the Kay Yow Cancer Fund.
“Tasha’s passing is a devastating loss. She was extraordinary,” Georgetown president John J. DeGioia said. “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.”
Georgetown announced that Butts is survived by her parents Spencer and Evelyn Butts, her brother Spencer Jr., and her nephew Marquis.