CFCA alumna Kristen Butler settles in as head coach for Rutgers softball | Observer Preps

Kristen Butler, an alumna of CFCA and the University of Florida, was named the head coach of the softball program at Rutgers University this summer after a successful run at the University of Toledo.

By Steven Ryzewski
| 5:45 p.m. August 27, 2018

Sports

Kristen Butler’s softball career has taken her around the world.

There have been many stops since she was a six-year standout for Central Florida Christian Academy — as a star player at the University of Florida, as a professional player in Chicago and in Japan, and then there is her coaching career — but Butler still can recall her time on the campus in east Ocoee.

Kristen Butler. Courtesy of the University of Toledo

“I grew up there,” Butler said. “I was there because mom worked there. I remember it like the back of my hand.”

Currently, she’s only about 1,000 miles away in Piscataway Township, New Jersey, settling in as the recently hired head coach of the Rutgers University softball program. It’s an exciting opportunity for the former Eagle to lead a program within the Big Ten after an incredibly successful four years at the University of Toledo — her first go-around as a head coach after years as an assistant.

Reached by phone Aug. 13, Butler said one of the more pressing goals for her and family is to simply finish unpacking.

“We haven’t been there a ton — this week will kind of be our first week being (in the family’s new home) for a good while,” Butler said. “We’re trying to finish unpacking and get going.”

Getting going will be important — there is no rest for Division I coaches. The spring season for college softball, which begins in February, is closer than it seems, and the work recruiting and building a program never ends. Butler wouldn’t have it any other way.

A career full of memories

Kristen Butler has had several stops in her softball career, as a player and a coach, making memories along the way.

CFCA (player, 1997-2002):

Butler was part of a run at CFCA where the Eagles softball program went to the FHSAA Final Four all six years she was part of the varsity team, winning two state championships.

“We didn’t know any different other than going to the (FHSAA) Final Four,” Butler said.

University of Florida (player, 2003-06):

Butler’s career for the Gators was so decorated that it is tough to pick out memories. She was recognized as SEC Player of the Year and was part of teams had several signature wins.

“I think just competing in the SEC, in general, was so fun, and we hosted regionals three out of four years that I was at Florida,” Butler said.

Professional playing career (2006-15):

Butler had a number of stops in a professional playing career that carried over into her coaching days. She fondly remembers her time playing internationally, in Japan.

“I set a record over there for home runs, and I think that the culture shock was fun — I would recommend (playing internationally) to anybody,” Butler said. “The language barrier, I think that was so much fun — they’re shouting things from the stands and you just turn and smile and wave.”

Toledo (head coach, 2014-18):

Butler oversaw a program turnaround wherein the Rockets enjoyed their best four-year stretch since the late 1990s and reached the 30-win plateau in 2018 for the first time since 1995. She said that her second season coaching, Toledo stood out, during which the team went on a 13-game winning streak and made the conference tournament for the first time in several years.

“That was just an unreal feat that that team did, and I’ll never forget that,” Butler said.

Rutgers (head coach, 2018-present):

Obviously, having just settled in at Rutgers, Butler has not had much time to make memories — but she is confident they are coming.

“They have done nothing but have a red carpet for me,” Butler said. “It’s been a really fun transition and I’m very honored to be at Rutgers. There are several more memories to come at Rutgers.”

“It’s always been a dream of mine, since I was a softball player, to be a head coach,” Butler said.

Toward the end of her playing career — she retired in 2015 — Butler began working as an assistant for a handful of programs, including her alma mater. Toledo gave her a shot as a head coach in 2014, and she did not disappoint, overseeing a turnaround wherein the Rockets enjoyed their best four-year stretch since the late 1990s, reaching the 30-win plateau in 2018 for the first time since 1995.

Earlier this year, she was recognized as the Mid-American Conference’s Coach of the Year for the Rockets’ strong season.

Now, preparing to lead the Scarlet Knights, she has a good grip on coaching at the collegiate level and why she has been so taken by it.

“It’s a constant learning thing — each year the kids are different, and as a coach, you have to keep adapting to that,” Butler said. “It’s fun because every day, I still get to get out there and play softball, too.”

Butler is looking forward to injecting a little more Florida into the program at Rutgers, too. While at Toledo, Butler had four players from Florida on the roster, including Samantha Golden, who graduated from West Orange High.

She is excited to lean into her local connections and was pleasantly surprised when the roster she inherited already had a head start.

“I was excited to look at the roster at Rutgers and see there’s a young lady from just south of Tampa,” Butler said. “There’s already a Florida girl there, and that’ll be a good connection.”