Danville alumnus Butler returns to Illinois, joins Panthers' staff

Jun. 17—CHARLESTON — Kylen Butler has received multiple opportunities to work on men's college basketball coaching staffs since his playing career ended.

The 2014 Danville graduate bounced from the University of Indianapolis to Clemson, to Cal State Fullerton, to Grand Canyon and finally to Valparaiso.

Butler joined former Illini Roger Powell's Beacons staff earlier this year as a special assistant to the head coach.

This, as with all his previous jobs, was a support role. But one Butler was thrilled to take on, saying that Powell "has the it factor" in college coaching.

That said, Butler has wanted to ascend from support staff to an assistant coach gig. With the hope of someday becoming a head coach.

He took the former step earlier this week when Eastern Illinois men's basketball coach Marty Simmons announced Butler as a new assistant on the Panthers' staff on Monday.

"It's extremely important to me," Butler said. "This opportunity wasn't really expected at all. ... For somebody to be willing to take a chance on me, to allow me that assistant coaching opportunity, it's been a dream job of mine for a few years now. I cherish it very, very much."

Simmons previously worked on Clemson's coaching staff while Butler was with the program.

"We just happened to be on the phone, and it happened organically," Butler said. "He wasn't looking to pull me from any school or any situation. I wasn't about to force myself upon any situation.

"This is something you really can't script. ... It's a blessing."

Butler's time as a Danville boys' basketball player was split playing for two seasons apiece under Gary Tidwell and Ted Houpt between 2010 and 2014.

Butler remembers this as "an amazing time," adding that he recalls knocking down a pair of three-point baskets as a freshman during his varsity debut in a game against Big 12 Conference rival Centennial.

"We had a coaching change (from Tidwell to Houpt), and I also had a position change. I went from shooting guard to point guard," Butler said. "Diving into the point guard position helped me learn and understand the game from a different perspective, which helped me as I transitioned from player to coach."

Butler's college playing career was hampered by two hip surgeries. He played at Wallace State Community College in Hanceville, Ala., spent a season sitting out post-surgery at Tusculum University in Tennessee and ultimately wrapped up at the University of Indianapolis. That last stop put him into connection with another Danville native. Stan Gouard coached the Greyhounds between 2008 and 2020, and he welcomed Butler onto his Indianapolis staff as a graduate assistant in 2018.

"My parents always talked to me about being a teacher or a coach. Well, fast forward, and Stan Gouard gave me that opportunity," Butler said. "I wasn't 100 percent sure on if that was the route I wanted to go, but working alongside him and learning under him, I fell in love with it."

Butler functioned as Grand Canyon's director of recruiting for the Antelopes' last two seasons. Butler said he's got recruiting trips planned for this weekend under the Eastern Illinois banner.

"The responsibilities (of my job) will be, first and foremost, the team, getting the guys better," Butler said. "We started summer workouts the week I got here. Guys are on campus. I'm investing in them as much as I can, building relationships with them as much as I can.

"The last week we also had a youth camp and a team camp. It's been really busy just getting involved as much as I can, trying to hit the ground running with all the excitement going on."

The Panthers have gone three consecutive seasons with a losing record, including a 9-22 mark during the 2022-23 season that was Simmons' second season in charge. Even so, Butler is fired up getting to return to his home state for his first full-time assistant coaching job at the Division I level.

"People want to see you win even more, and I take that with a big chip on my shoulder," Butler said. "To really invest into my craft, into these players, and make sure we put the right product on the floor, that way the support continues to flow in."

Support from Vermilion County won't be difficult for Butler to find.

"It's been a ton of people from Danville that have come through Eastern Illinois, whether for academics, athletics or coaching," Butler said. "It means so much when you've got a whole community on your back. I'm just super grateful and appreciative of that support."