Alumna takes over UF women's basketball
Amanda Butler began her playing and coaching career at Florida more than a decade ago.
By ANTONYA ENGLISH
Published April 14, 2007
GAINESVILLE - Amanda Butler began her playing and coaching career at Florida more than a decade ago.
Friday, she agreed to return. Butler, 35, was hired as the Gators' women's basketball coach, taking on the challenge of restoring the program to national prominence.
She has spent the past two seasons as coach at Charlotte, going 40-22.
"This is a very emotional day for me because returning to the University of Florida is a dream come true," Butler said in a statement. "There is a lot of work to be done, and I am anxious to get right to work."
Butler started from 1990-94, then spent two seasons as an assistant to Carol Ross. Before taking over at Charlotte, she spent four seasons (19997-2000) as an assistant at Austin Peay.
WOODEN RELEASED: John Wooden was resting at home after leaving a hospital in Los Angeles. The ex-UCLA coach, 96, had been hospitalized since Sunday due to an inflammation of pockets in the colon.
GEORGETOWN: Juniors Jeff Green and Roy Hibbert will enter the draft but not sign with agents. They can withdraw by June 18.
LSU: Carla Berry, the assistant women's coach who told administrators of Pokey Chatman's alleged improper conduct with former players, resigned to work in private business. New coach Van Chancellor said he was surprised by the decision.
OHIO ST.: The NCAA threw out three violations and part of a fourth that occurred under former men's coach Jim O'Brien because it missed a deadline for filing charges. The school said self-imposed penalties, including erasing references to its 1999 Final Four berth, will remain. O'Brien was fired June 8, 2004, after he revealed he lent $6,000 to recruit Aleksandar Radojevic. The school's investigation found seven violations occurred while O'Brien was coach.
Bush won't be sued
SAN DIEGO - The former landlord for Reggie Bush's parents won't sue him or his family, a dispute that raised questions about improper benefits while at Southern Cal. The NCAA's investigation has been hampered because of the threat of lawsuits.
Michael Michaels alleged Bush's parents lived rent-free in his house for a year while Bush played for the Trojans. He said it came with an understanding Bush would sign with a marketing agency co-founded by Michaels. Bush signed elsewhere, and Michaels alleges he and his partner lost $300,000, including $100,000 in cash disbursements to the family.
BASEBALL: A bases-loaded single in the 10th scored two to give host Villanova a 3-2 win over USF (25-11, 8-5 Big East). Bulls junior Walter Diaz extended his hitting streak to 18 games. ... Host Florida State (33-4,11-2 ACC) scored five in the first and seven in the third to beat Virginia Tech 14-1. ... Florida's game at Arkansas was postponed by rain. A doubleheader starts at 3 today.
SOFTBALL: Kristen Gordon struck out eight in 41/3 innings for two saves as visiting USF (33-19, 5-3) beat Pitt 5-2 and 4-0.
USF: Bill McGillis, athletic director at Evansville the past five years, was hired as senior associate athletic director for external operations. He will oversee the ticket sales, broadcasts, marketing and sports information departments.
Times staff writer Greg Auman and information from Times wires contributed to this report.