Central Michigan University Athletics
Staff Directory
Chelsie Butler
- Title:
- Associate Head Coach, Recruiting Coordinator
- E-Mail Address:
- Phone:
- (989) 774-3041
- Year at CMU:
- 4th
- Hometown:
- Minerva, Ohio
- Alma Mater/Year:
- Marquette '15, Akron M'17
- Experience:
- 10th year
Chelsie Butler begins her fourth season with Central Michigan Women’s Basketball in 2026-27, leading the recruiting efforts for the program throughout her tenure. She was promoted to Associate Head Coach in the spring of 2025 following her second season as an assistant under Head Coach Kristin Haynie.
Butler has been instrumental toward the program’s rebuild as she aided Haynie in an eight-win improvement from 6-22 (4-14 MAC) in 2023-24 to 14-17 (9-9 MAC) in 2024-25, marking the program’s first MAC Championship tournament berth since 2021. The 2025-26 season saw another four-win jump at 18-12 (12-6 MAC) and the league’s fourth seed.
Her recruiting efforts landed MAC Freshman (2025) and Player (2026) of the Year Madi Morson as well as fellow standout Ayanna-Sarai Darrington, one of the top offensive rebounders in NCAA I in 2024-25 and 2025-26, and a strong transfer class in the summer of 2024 led by CSC Academic All-District honoree Jess Lawson—who became the seventh player in program history to record a triple-double in 2024-25.
The 2024-25 season also marked Butler’s unofficial head coaching debut as she took the reins from Coach Haynie for a 75-55 victory at her graduate alma mater, Akron (Jan. 15), marking CMU’s first 20-point win in league play in nearly four years.
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; Associate Head Coach/Recruiting Coordinator, April 2025-present
Central Michigan; Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator, Sep. 2023-April 2025
Youngstown State; Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator, Oct. 2021-Sep. 2023
Southeastern Louisiana; Assistant Coach, 2017-Oct. 2021
Akron; Graduate Manager, 2015-17
Butler has been instrumental toward the program’s rebuild as she aided Haynie in an eight-win improvement from 6-22 (4-14 MAC) in 2023-24 to 14-17 (9-9 MAC) in 2024-25, marking the program’s first MAC Championship tournament berth since 2021. The 2025-26 season saw another four-win jump at 18-12 (12-6 MAC) and the league’s fourth seed.
Her recruiting efforts landed MAC Freshman (2025) and Player (2026) of the Year Madi Morson as well as fellow standout Ayanna-Sarai Darrington, one of the top offensive rebounders in NCAA I in 2024-25 and 2025-26, and a strong transfer class in the summer of 2024 led by CSC Academic All-District honoree Jess Lawson—who became the seventh player in program history to record a triple-double in 2024-25.
The 2024-25 season also marked Butler’s unofficial head coaching debut as she took the reins from Coach Haynie for a 75-55 victory at her graduate alma mater, Akron (Jan. 15), marking CMU’s first 20-point win in league play in nearly four years.
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; Associate Head Coach/Recruiting Coordinator, April 2025-present
Central Michigan; Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator, Sep. 2023-April 2025
Youngstown State; Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator, Oct. 2021-Sep. 2023
Southeastern Louisiana; Assistant Coach, 2017-Oct. 2021
Akron; Graduate Manager, 2015-17
Friday, September 04
Friday, September 04
Thursday, September 03
Thursday, September 03
