Fri Apr 4 02:57:25 2008

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Butts named Arizona head coach

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Tucson, AZ (Sports Network) - Niya Butts was named the new women's basketball coach at Arizona on Thursday.

Butts replaces Joan Bonvicini, who was fired last month. Butts comes to Arizona from the University of Kentucky, where she spent the previous five seasons as an assistant coach. This past season, she served as Kentucky's associate head coach, and was the program's recruiting coordinator for three seasons.

"It is an amazing feeling to be the head coach at Arizona," Butts said. "This is the opportunity I have been waiting for. Arizona is a great place, and I am looking forward to taking the Wildcats to the next level."

Before her stint at Kentucky, Butts spent the 2002-03 season as an assistant coach at Michigan State.

Bonvicini departed having compiled a 287-223 overall record in 17 seasons, making her the winningest coach in UA women's history. The 2007-08 squad finished just 10-20 and 4-14 in the Pac-10 conference.