FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MANCHESTER, N.H. – Lex Butler, a former All-American at the University of Colorado and a member of the Buffs coaching staff for the past two seasons, has been selected to lead the Southern New Hampshire University women’s track and field program as it begins competition in the 2015-16 academic year. The announcement was made by Anthony Fallacaro, So. New Hampshire Director of Athletics and Recreation on Tuesday.
Butler will begin his duties on Monday, September 22.
“Lex stood out from a strong field of candidates for the position,” said Fallacaro. “He will bring instant credibility to our program with his experience as a coach at Colorado and at the Naval Academy, as well as his experience competing at a high level as a student-athlete. With his experience and contacts, Lex will be able to recruit not just in the Northeast, but nationally, as we seek to build a track program on par with many of our other programs that have enjoyed success at the regional and national levels.”
“I want to thank Director of Athletics Anthony Fallacaro and Associate Directors of Athletics Tom Wilkins and Tricia Cote for seeing value in what I can bring to the SNHU athletic department. I am truly honored and thoroughly excited for the opportunity to build the women’s track and field program and compete at a high level. Coming from a great program like CU, I have been able to learn from top-flight coaches about what it takes to put together a nationally-competitive program,” said Butler.
“It takes time to build a team from scratch the right way. However, I expect our team to hit the ground running and make an immediate impact in the region. My focus is to build a team that wants to put in the work to be the best.”
Over the past 17 years, Butler has transitioned from a Division I track and field All-American to a nationally-respected coach. He has an extensive list of Pac-12 and Patriot League champions that he has coached, as well as multiple NCAA regional and national qualifiers.
At Colorado, Butler worked primarily with the Buffs’ sprinters and short and long hurdlers. In two seasons, he coached the women’s 200-meter and 400-meter school record holders, the men’s 200-meter school record holder, and regional qualifiers for both men and women in the 4x400 relay. Holding USATF Level II certification in jumps, sprints, hurdles and relays, he also instituted event-specific weight training programs and assisted with home meet management.
“SNHU is getting an excellent coach in Lex Butler. He is technically knowledgeable, meticulous, and patient. I am, at once, sad to lose him, but excited to see him take the next step in his career,” said Mark Wetmore, who has coached track and field at Colorado since 1995.
Butler had a highly-decorated career at Colorado 1998-2002, and still holds the program record in the indoor 60-meterhurdles, set at the 2000 Big 12 Indoor Championship to capture the conference title. Later that season, he earned All-America status with a ninth-place finish in the preliminary rounds at nationals.
Butler is one of the top hurdlers all-time at Colorado, owning the third best 55-meter indoor time in program history as well as the top nine 60-meter performances. Outdoors, he is the third-best performer in the 110-hurdles, posting the fifth through ninth-fastest times in CU annals. He earned several All-Conference honors and was a two-time CU Athlete of the Week.
“Having been an All-American at CU, I knew what it took to be a champion. My goal is to impart that knowledge and experience onto these student-athletes,” said Butler.
Butler’s coaching career began at the United States Naval Academy from 2003-2007, where he worked as an assistant coach working with sprints and short and long hurdles. While in Annapolis, he coached six Midshipmen to nine Patriot League hurdles titles, five athletes to jump championships, and coached Navy student-athletes to 13 school records for sprints, hurdles, jumps and relays.
A native of Mansfield, Texas, Butler graduated from Colorado in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in political science and earned his master’s in Sport Management/Event Management from George Washington University in 2008.
“We cannot succeed on the track without succeeding in the classroom,” added Butler. As a team, we want to grow upon the highest standards already set at SNHU academically and athletically. That will be a cornerstone for this program.”
The Northeast-10 Conference is an association of 15 NCAA Division II colleges and universities located in New England and New York that is committed to supporting balanced academic and athletic opportunities for more than 6,000 student-athletes.
Each year, 4,000 of those student-athletes compete in Conference championships in 23 sports, making the NE-10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sports sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the Northeast-10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
Content for this release provided by Southern New Hampshire University
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