Todd Butler

Louis Todd Butler

• Bats Both, Throws Right
• Height 5' 10", Weight 170 lb.
• Schools University of Oklahoma, McNeese State University

• Born July 23, 1966 in Alexandria, LA USA

BR minors page

Biographical Information

Todd Butler was a college coach.

Butler set the Oklahoma Sooners record with 46 steals in 1988, once swiping 26 in a row. He made All-Big Eight Conference. He was 6th in NCAA Division I in steals, behind Tom Goodwin, Lawrence Smith, Ed Alicea, Mike Lansing and Larry Lamphere. He also played for the Wareham Gatemen of the Cape Cod League in the summer while in college. He played one season as a pro, splitting the summer of '88 between the Burlington Indians (.282/.404/.385 in 13 G) and Waterloo Indians (.227/.313/.266 in 48 G) of the Cleveland Indians chain. He stole 17 bases in 25 tries and scored 28 runs. He fielded .952 in 58 games at 2B and played one game in the outfield (2 putouts). He was 9th in the Indians chain in swipes despite his partial season.

Butler then became a coach. He was assistant coach at McNeese State University in 1991. He coached that summer with the Kenai Peninsula Oilers. He was assistant coach at Blinn Junior College in 1992, when they finished third in the NJCAA World Series. That summer, he coached the Anchorage Glacier Pilots. He was assistant again at McNeese State in 1993-1994, working with Bob Howry there. He managed the Liberal Bee Jays in 1993. From 1995-2000, he was hitting coach at the University of Alabama. The team went to the 1996 College World Series, 1997 College World Series and 1999 College World Series. In 1997, the team led the NCAA in runs, slugging and total bases. His products included Andy Phillips, Dustan Mohr, Paul Phillips, Jeremy Brown and Lance Cormier.

Butler got his first head coaching position with McNeese State in 2001 and went 90-83 in three years there. He returned to an assistant role at Alabama in 2004-2005, working with Wade LeBlanc, Taylor Tankersley, Matt Downs and David Robertson and recruiting Alex Avila and Tommy Hunter. He then was assistant coach at the University of Arkansas from 2006-2013; the school went to the 2009 College World Series and 2012 College World Series. Among the players he recruited were Jess Todd and Duke Welker. He also coached Nick Schmidt, Zack Cox, Logan Forsythe, Ryne Stanek, Matt Reynolds, Blake Parker, Dallas Keuchel and Drew Smyly.

In 2014, he replaced Gene Stephenson as the head of the Wichita State University program, after a 36-year stint by Stephenson. He was fired after six seasons and a 169-180-1 record.

Sources: Wichita State bio, 1989 Baseball Almanac