Central Michigan University Athletics
Women's Basketball
Chelsie Butler
- Title:
- Assistant Coach, Recruiting Coordinator
- E-Mail Address:
- butle3c@cmich.edu
- Phone:
- (989) 774-3041
- Year at CMU:
- 3rd
- Hometown:
- Minerva, Ohio
- Alma Mater/Year:
- Marquette '15, Akron M'17
- Experience:
- 8th year
Chelsie Butler will mark her third season on Central Michigan Women’s Basketball’s coaching staff in 2025-26, as well as being tasked with the program’s recruiting duties, entering the season with a 20-39 record, 13-23 in the MAC. She was elevated to Associate Head Coach in the summer after the 2024-25 campaign.
The 2024-25 campaign set a new course for the program, turning a corner toward progress in its 14-17 mark, 9-9 in MAC play, producing the program's first MAC Tournament appearance since 2021. The Chippewas retained their MAC lead in rebounding, moving into the top five nationally in per-game averages for both total rebounding (43.30, fourth) and rebounding margin (+10.6, fifth) and was eighth in offensive rebounding (16.1). The season was led by MAC Freshman of the Year Madi Morson and fellow All-MAC Freshman Ayanna-Sarai Darrington, the top two freshman in the league in scoring. Morson set a program record with 511 points, the most by a Chippewa in their freshman campaign, breaking a mark that had gone untouched since Sue Nissen's 1987-88 season. Morson also marked the second-best single-game performance by a freshman wth 32 points at Dayton (Dec. 15, 2024). Darrington was a steady riser in the rotation, hitting her stride for the conference season as she posted six of seven double-doubles (fifth among NCAA I freshmen), all three 20-point games and a 21-rebound performance against Ball State (Feb. 26, 2025) all after the calendar flipped to 2025.
CMU finalized the inaugural coaching staff of Head Coach Kristin Haynie’s tenure with the announcement of Coach Butler in September 2023. The 2015 graduate of Marquette joined the 2023-24 bench after a two-year stint at Youngstown State.
Butler joined the Youngstown State women's basketball program in October 2021 and handled the team's recruiting efforts on head coach John Barnes' staff, a role she will continued to hold for the Chippewas. She also held key roles with scouting, practice preparation, camps and individual workouts.
In her first season with the Penguins, YSU earned the Horizon League’s automatic bid into the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) through a 24-win campaign and share of the conference title. Youngstown state opened the 2021-22 season with 15 wins through its first 16 games, marking three separate five-plus game winning streaks for just the second time in school history for a single season.
A native of Minerva, Ohio, Butler ventured to Youngstown State after spending the previous four seasons at Southeastern Louisiana. Prior to her time in Hammond, La., Butler was the graduate manager on the women's basketball staff at Akron, where she collected a master’s degree in coaching. Butler's first crack at the MAC overlapped with another member of Central Michigan's 2023-24 staff as Jared Roane graduated from Akron's women's basketball staff with his master's degree in 2016.
During Butler's tenure with the Lady Lions, the team went from 12th place in the Southland Conference up to second. Butler oversaw Southeastern's post players, opponent scouting and out-of-bounds plays. She also assisted with the team's offensive schemes and recruiting, oversaw all camps and clinics, and was tasked with the program's equipment and gear orders.
Butler spent four seasons playing at Marquette, where she averaged 5.4 points and 3.5 rebounds during her collegiate career, then capped her tenure with a bachelor’s degree in broadcasting. She was the All-Ohio Co-Player of the Year at Minerva High School in Ohio as a senior and was inducted into her alma mater’s Hall of Fame in 2017.
Career Timeline
Central Michigan; Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator, Sep. 2023-present
Youngstown State; Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator, Oct. 2021-Sep. 2023
Southeastern Louisiana; Assistant Coach, 2017-Oct. 2021
Akron; Graduate Manager, 2015-17
The 2024-25 campaign set a new course for the program, turning a corner toward progress in its 14-17 mark, 9-9 in MAC play, producing the program's first MAC Tournament appearance since 2021. The Chippewas retained their MAC lead in rebounding, moving into the top five nationally in per-game averages for both total rebounding (43.30, fourth) and rebounding margin (+10.6, fifth) and was eighth in offensive rebounding (16.1). The season was led by MAC Freshman of the Year Madi Morson and fellow All-MAC Freshman Ayanna-Sarai Darrington, the top two freshman in the league in scoring. Morson set a program record with 511 points, the most by a Chippewa in their freshman campaign, breaking a mark that had gone untouched since Sue Nissen's 1987-88 season. Morson also marked the second-best single-game performance by a freshman wth 32 points at Dayton (Dec. 15, 2024). Darrington was a steady riser in the rotation, hitting her stride for the conference season as she posted six of seven double-doubles (fifth among NCAA I freshmen), all three 20-point games and a 21-rebound performance against Ball State (Feb. 26, 2025) all after the calendar flipped to 2025.
CMU finalized the inaugural coaching staff of Head Coach Kristin Haynie’s tenure with the announcement of Coach Butler in September 2023. The 2015 graduate of Marquette joined the 2023-24 bench after a two-year stint at Youngstown State.
Butler joined the Youngstown State women's basketball program in October 2021 and handled the team's recruiting efforts on head coach John Barnes' staff, a role she will continued to hold for the Chippewas. She also held key roles with scouting, practice preparation, camps and individual workouts.
In her first season with the Penguins, YSU earned the Horizon League’s automatic bid into the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) through a 24-win campaign and share of the conference title. Youngstown state opened the 2021-22 season with 15 wins through its first 16 games, marking three separate five-plus game winning streaks for just the second time in school history for a single season.
A native of Minerva, Ohio, Butler ventured to Youngstown State after spending the previous four seasons at Southeastern Louisiana. Prior to her time in Hammond, La., Butler was the graduate manager on the women's basketball staff at Akron, where she collected a master’s degree in coaching. Butler's first crack at the MAC overlapped with another member of Central Michigan's 2023-24 staff as Jared Roane graduated from Akron's women's basketball staff with his master's degree in 2016.
During Butler's tenure with the Lady Lions, the team went from 12th place in the Southland Conference up to second. Butler oversaw Southeastern's post players, opponent scouting and out-of-bounds plays. She also assisted with the team's offensive schemes and recruiting, oversaw all camps and clinics, and was tasked with the program's equipment and gear orders.
Butler spent four seasons playing at Marquette, where she averaged 5.4 points and 3.5 rebounds during her collegiate career, then capped her tenure with a bachelor’s degree in broadcasting. She was the All-Ohio Co-Player of the Year at Minerva High School in Ohio as a senior and was inducted into her alma mater’s Hall of Fame in 2017.
Career Timeline
Central Michigan; Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator, Sep. 2023-present
Youngstown State; Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator, Oct. 2021-Sep. 2023
Southeastern Louisiana; Assistant Coach, 2017-Oct. 2021
Akron; Graduate Manager, 2015-17
2025-26 WBB Preseason Press Conference - Taylor Johnson & Nekhu Mitchell
Tuesday, October 21
2025-26 WBB Preseason Press Conference - Head Coach Kristin Haynie
Tuesday, October 21
WBB Annual Golf Outing
Friday, September 12
WBB Practice
Friday, July 04
