ATLANTA — Former Georgia Tech women’s basketball associate head coach Tasha Butts has been added to the upcoming induction class for the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.
Butts, who served four years at Georgia Tech under head coach Nell Fortner, is one of four individuals that were added to the class as part of the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame’s annual “legends” honorees. They join eight inductees that were announced in September, a group that includes former Georgia Tech football head coach Paul Johnson. The full class will be enshrined during the Hall’s annual induction ceremony on Feb. 23-24, 2024 in Macon.
Butts was announced as the 11th head coach at Georgetown University on April 11, 2023 after a long coaching and professional WNBA career. She served four years at Georgia Tech under head coach Nell Fortner, arriving in April 2019 as an assistant coach. She was promoted to associate head coach in April 2021. During her time on The Flats, she helped the Yellow Jackets to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, two 20-plus win campaigns, nine wins over ranked opponents and the program’s highest outright Atlantic Coast Conference finish in program history.
A Georgia native, Butts had an illustrious coaching career that included stints at LSU, UCLA and Duquesne University. Butts helped her programs make 10 NCAA Tournaments appearances, including six at LSU, and was part of three Sweet 16 appearances between Georgia Tech and LSU.
A four-year letterwinner at Tennessee, Butts helped the Lady Vols to a 124-17 record from 2000-04. Tennessee made a run to the Sweet 16 her freshman campaign and advanced to the 2002 Final Four in her sophomore season. She then helped the Lady Vols to back-to-back National Championship games her junior and senior seasons (2003, 2004). As a senior, Butts earned All-SEC Second Team honors after averaging 10.4 points per game and ranking second in the league in three-point field goal percentage (43.0).
Additionally, Butts was part of four SEC regular season championship teams, as Tennessee compiled a 55-1 SEC record in her four years. She left UT ranked fourth all-time in games played (141) and tied for seventh in three-point shots made (103). Butt’s career-high 37 points against Vanderbilt on Feb. 16, 2004, tied for 11th on the Lady Vols’ single-game scoring list.
Butts was chosen by the Minnesota Lynx with the 20th selection in the 2004 WNBA Draft and saw action in all 30 games as a rookie, helping the club equal a franchise record with 18 wins and earn a spot in the playoffs.
A standout basketball player at Baldwin High School in Milledgeville, Ga., Butts was named the Georgia Gatorade Player of the Year in 2000. She is still the all-time leading scorer for the Bravettes and her number 23 jersey was retired. On October 22, 2023, Butts passed away after a two-year battle with breast cancer. “Tasha Tough” became a rallying cry and continues as an initiative to bring awareness to early cancer screenings and detection.
