CONWAY, S.C. — Former Danville standout Kylen Butler was named an assistant basketball coach at Coastal Carolina on Monday.
Butler, a 2014 graduate of Danville High School, will join head coach Justin Gray on the Chanticleers staff for next season after spending the past two years with Marty Simmons at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston.
“I am very thankful for the opportunity that I was presented over the last two seasons at Eastern Illinois working with Coach Simmons and his program,’’ said Butler when reached Wednesday afternoon. “Not only was I able to achieve a lifelong dram of mine — I was able to grow as a man, a coach and as a mentor. My basketball knowledge expanded greatly over the past two seasons thanks to the role I was in and the people I was surrounded by. I’m confident those relationships will last a lifetime.
“With that being said, as one chapter ends, another one begins. I am extremely grateful for coach Gray and his staff for welcoming me with open arms down here at Coastal Carolina. Having some familiarity with a couple of guys on the staff has made the transition very easy. Building relationships, being a sponge and gaining even more knowledge of the game is what drives me, and this feels like a perfect fit. I’m excited to get to work with the coaches and players, and impact winning at a high level.’’
Coastal Carolina, a member of the Sun Belt Conference, went 10-22 overall last year and 3-15 in the league in coach Gray’s first season with the Chanticleers after three seasons at Western Carolina.
“We are excited to have Kylen and Josh (Spainhour) join Teal Nation,’’ said Gray in an official university release announcing the additions of Butler and Josh Spainhour, who joins Coastal Carolina as director of sports performance. “Kylen is young, innovative and ambitious. He has a remarkable eye for talent and a bright future ahead of him. He’s going to make an immediate impact on our program.’’
One of Butler’s first chores with Coastal Carolina is finding replacements on its roster. Six players, including last year’s top four scorers for the Chanticleers, are either in the transfer portal or have already found new homes for next season.
Eastern Illinois was Butler’s first opportunity as an assistant coach, but not his first foray in college basketball. Before joining the Panthers, Butler served as the director of recruiting for two years at Grand Canyon University. He helped assemble a roster that won 47 games over two seasons and won the 2023 Western Athletic Conference (WAC) championship to reach the NCAA Tournament. He also spent one season (2020-21) as the director of basketball operations at Cal State Fullerton after working as a graduate assistant at Clemson (2019-20) and the University of Indianapolis (2018-19).
Butler began his collegiate playing career at Wallace State Community College before transferring to Tusculum and later Indianapolis for his senior year. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Indianapolis in 2018.
“The love and support from everyone back home means the most,’’ Butler said. “I’m forever thankful for that, and to be able to call Danville my home.’’