GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) Florida women's basketball coach Amanda Butler got a contract extension after a losing season.
Athletic director Jeremy Foley announced a two-year extension for Butler on Wednesday, a week after the Gators closed the season with a 71-49 loss to Auburn in the Southeastern Conference tournament. Butler will now be under contract through the 2018-19 season.
Florida lost five of its final six games and finished 13-17 this season, leaving Butler with a 153-112 record in eight years in Gainesville. She led the Gators to the NCAA Tournament three times, but failed to get past the second round.
''Clearly, the results of last season were not what anyone, including coach Butler, had hoped,'' Foley said. ''That said, I continue to strongly feel that Amanda is the right person to get Florida women's basketball to be a contender in this league and nationally. She's a Gator and will keep working tirelessly to elevate this program.''
Butler led Florida to four straight 20-win seasons before this year, but the Gators never finished higher than fifth in the league.
The program remains the only one at Florida that has yet to win an SEC championship.
''Last season was disappointing for me and Gator Nation,'' Butler said. ''Gator Nation deserves excellence - the very best coaching, student-athletes and results. We will do whatever is necessary to make Florida women's basketball a cornerstone of pride for our University of Florida. I am very excited about what the future holds for our program.''
Butler is expected to lose just one player this year, with fifth-year senior Kayla Lewis on pace to get a second bachelor's degree in May.
