Georgetown women’s basketball coach Tasha Butts, a longtime assistant at LSU before later becoming the head coach of the Hoyas last April, passed away following a two-year battle with breast cancer on Monday at the age of 41.
An assistant coach at LSU from 2011-19, Butts left to become the associate head coach at Georgia Tech. It was during her time with the Yellow Jackets that she was diagnosed with cancer in 2021.
Butts was hired at Georgetown this offseason but stepped away from the team in September to focus on her health with assistant Darnell Haney taking over as the interim.
“Tasha was a great player and went on to have a successful career as a coach too,” LSU head coach [autotag]Kim Mulkey[/autotag] said in a release. “More importantly, she had an impact on so many lives throughout her lifetime. We are sad to lose her at such a young age.”
Butts, who arrived at LSU after a stint as an assistant at UCLA, was a star player in college at Tennessee under legendary coach Pat Summitt. While with the Tigers, Butts helped secure three top-20 recruiting class and develop seven All-SEC selections.
“We are deeply saddened to hear of Tasha’s passing,” LSU associate head coach Bob Starkey, who serves on the board of the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, said. “The courage she displayed as she battled cancer should set an example for us all and her spirit should inspire us all to continue in her honor to work towards a cure for breast cancer.”
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