WBB Adding New Assistant -- THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Walz Set to Replace Steph Norman 

After 18 seasons with Jeff Walz at UofL, Steph Norman departed at the end of the 2024-25 women's basketball season to return to her alma mater of Arizona State. It was a bit of a surprise to everyone, but Norman is taking a bit of an elevated role at ASU as the Associate Head Coach and Director of Basketball Strategy. That type of title is becoming more commonplace as NIL funds and relaxed transfer rules fully set in and change the landscape of college athletics by requiring more management of the team and players. I think Norman will do well, and wish her nothing but the best, but it left Louisville with a gap on the bench. 

Enter Brittany Morris. Morris will enter as an assistant coach under Walz after spending the past four seasons at NC State working with Wes Moore. Morris is a native of Raleigh, North Carolina, and coming to Louisville will mark her first major departure from the state since she left to play her collegiate ball at Seton Hall. Morris played for the Pirates from 2009-2013 and finished with a career-record 178 made three-pointers, including a school-record 78 in her senior season. She was the 20th-leading scorer in program history when she graduated and she started all 62 games at point guard in her junior and senior seasons. 

After graduating from Seton Hall, Morris made a stop in Virginia on her way back to the Tar Heel State, working as the video coordinator at Virginia Tech in the 2014-15 season. After that season, she returned to her home town of Raleigh to serve as a graduate assistant for two seasons at NC State. Her first true coaching gig came in the 2017-18 season, when she joined UNC-Wilmington as an assistant. She was there for three seasons and served as the team's recruiting coordinator in the latter two. Morris moved over to East Carolina for the 2020-21 season as an assistant before getting the call from Wes Moore to return to Raleigh. Morris has been an assistant coach for the Wolfpack since the 2021-22 season, and was largely responsible for the guards, which includes names that many know such as Diamond Johnson, Saniya Rivers, and Aziaha James. 

Morris's exact role with Louisville will become clearer in the coming days/weeks, but it seems likely that Jeff Walz has settled his staff. I suspect that Amanda Butler will move into the Associate Head Coach vacancy and others will fill in the chairs behind her. As the Cards look to build on the success of last season, one of recovery for Louisville, it will be interesting to see new faces on the bench. 

Until next time, Go Cards!

Case 

A couple of questions with WBB Asst. Coach Amanda Butler -- FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

FRIDAYS WITH DARYL 

Good morning everyone and welcome back to my favorite day of the week!
   

Cardinal Couple officially welcomes Amanda Butler to the Louisville women's basketball staff and the city of Louisville and I got the chance to pop over to the practice facility at meet our new coach!  

Daryl Foust (l) and Amanda Butler (r)

So I wanted to share a couple things we chatted about!  I really appreciate Amanda's time and look forward to supporting another basketball season from the sidelines.  

Coach says she spent the first solid week in Louisville and will be going out recruiting trips soon.  Says they have gone to check out some restaurants with some of the coaching staff and is taking recommendations of where to visit.  Enjoys cooking at home with family (has two boys 4 and 7).  Fan of bourbon.  From Tennessee, family lives right across the border..  which made a 'personal pull' for her to want to relocate to Louisville.

Amanda Butler: Thank you for the coverage cant underestimate how important that is and telling our stories and generating coverage beyond social media. Its so important.  We've got a great product and a great leader we want to soar from the mountain tops and we appreciate the megaphone you provide us. 

Daryl Foust: How are you getting acclimated with the city and the program. 

AB: Love the city, been here many times.  Majority of times its to recruit and to play so you don't get to enjoy and experience the charm and the city and all that Louisville has to offer, always watch the Derby every year and (Head Coach) Jeff's been a friend over the years and you have an idea of Louisville but actually being here and living here and seeing the things, eating food and learning the places outside just the work experience.  Then there's the eliteness of what Louisville basketball means and the program that's  been built and the eliteness of the people that are drawn to it, the student athletes the staff that Walz has put together, its fantastic to be a part of something so special. 

DF:  You familiar with Walz prior to this so how did this link up come to fruition?

AB:  The basketball community is big and small. its big as in its grown significantly but its small in that if you are fortunate enough to stay in the business for a long time you create connections and relationships and if you're fortunate enough to be in a position where there is an opening and this is what were looking for you could have someone in your network of people who think 'this might be a good idea', it was something we talked about a couple times and here we are.  

DF: We are glad to have you and look to help take the program to the next level, a national championship..

AB:  Its a definite goal and a definite challenge.  I really hope I can contribute in a way that helps us achieve that. I'm doing a lot of learning right now, the processes, the culture.   Walz and Steph Norman and AJ and when you have a player like Cortnee Walton who's played here, you've got a tremendous combination of people who have been around the program for a long time who have who have worked very hard to put us in the position were in and where we can have legit final four , national championship, ACC championship conversations.  An athletic culture that Josh has created to win national championships

DF:  What was your knowledge of the program before you arrived and now that you're in it?

AB:  Jeff is one of the most underrated coaches, the level of consistency and the string of elite 8's, throw in a few final fours, you can count on one hand who have done the things he has done in the post season.  Its a very hard thing to do to go to an elite 8 and final four and to be able to claim multiple ones, not enough people understand what an accomplishment that is.

When you're competing against that, you know they're going to be tough he's an excellent strategist and  great in game adjustments.  They've always done an outstanding job of recruiting the players that can be successful here.    Whether it's a top 10 or 20 kid or it's seeing the fit for someone who isn't, but they're a championship level competitor. Jeff and his staff are known for their creativity and work ethic in recruiting so its exciting to be a part of that and hopefully contribute but also learn a lot as well. The culture, the steadiness, the toughness, and the pride that's the magic in what Jeff has done.  He's gone out and got superstar players (like Dana Evans and Myisha Hines Allen) and then will combine them with someone who's super foundational (like Mykasa Robinson) and made magic happen.   

DF:  You played, so are you drawn to that position when coaching?

AB:  Always been drawn to point guard position.  I think when you have an extended HC career, that's the low hanging fruit because that's what I played but then you develop more curiosities about other parts of the game and you find what you value in a "big" or a shooting guard.  But really, I'm a student of the game, I'm a basketball junkie.  I have been getting to work early, leaving late and when I'm not at the office I have a game on at home.  I really love what I do, I love strategy and solving problems, I'm drawn to all of it.  Right now I'm the rookie on the staff so right now I'm trying to get to know everyone and find out how I can help everyone get what they need whether that be a co-worker or a player.  If Coach Walz gets back from Türkiye and asks me to coach the "bigs" or defense, I'm all in!!

*******************************************

Quick Questions! 

Coach Butler's responses are in bold caps

Tacos or SUSHI ?

DOGS or Cats ?

MUSIC or BOOKS (tie)

Mountains or BEACH ?

Skydiving or SCUBA ?

APPLE or Android ?

TEXTING or Calling ? 

Polka dots or STRIPES ?(vertical)

Only 115ish days until another WBB season!  We wish Coach AB success in her new found home here in Louisville and look forward to covering the Cardinals all the way to a national championship!!! 

As Always
Go Cards! 

~Daryl 

CARDS WBB ANNOUNCE COACHING ADDITION AND PROMOTION --- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE-

 Tuesday was a big day for Louisville women's basketball. The Cards announced the hiring of Amanda Butler as a assistant coach and the promotion of Cortnee Walton to Director of Basketball Operations. 

BUTLER NAMED ASSISTANT COACH

Truth  be told, the Amanda Butler hire was well known in a lot of circles a couple weeks before Tuesday. W]hy the annoucement was delayed is anyone's guess...but the actual hire is a stroke of brillance by Jeff Walz and the Cards.  

We last saw Butler in her head coahing role at Clemson last year. She spent six years in Littlejohn Coliseum, getting the Tigers to the NCAA Tournament once. The 2023-2024 season had to be disappointing to her, and . obviously ,  the Clemson WBB fan base. The Tigers went 12-19 overall and 5-13 in the ACC. 

Butler made $305,000 a yr, at Clemson, No details were given on whatshe will earn at UofL. She'll reunite with the five star recruit she had pegged for Clemson last season -- Imari Berry. When Bulter was fired in mid m March, Berry decommitted a week later, Berry had been the highest rated recruit in the history of Clemson WBB.  Berry going to Louisville may have been a catalyst for Butler to apply for the vanat coachng jon and follow her former recruit, but  that's just pure conjecture. 

Walz on Butler; "She's a phenominal coach and a exceptional leader.  Her commitment to excellence and abilty to connect with players on and off the court make her a perfect fit for our program We re beyond excited to welcome her to Louisville.." 

She's a class act, She was at Florida and at Clemson prior to the Louisville hire. We fel here at Cardinal Couple that you're gonna love her as an assistant  and we are happy to see her on the staff. 

CORTNEE WALTON PROMOTED TO DIRECTOR OF BASKETBALL OPERATIONS 

As they used to say in the old RonCo TV Commercials..."But, wait, there's more !!!"  

The Cards also announced Tuesday that Cortnee Walton has been promoted from Alumni Relations and Director of Player Relations to Director of Basketball Operations. It's a huge move fo rthe Cards, but no one is more deservng than Walton for the role. Walton replaces Macey Ford in the position. 

Walton was a five year letter winner in her playing days for the Cards WBB program and was previously at Georgia Tech as a Director of Recruiting Oeprations. At Louisville, her new duites will include overseeing the daily operations of the Cards WBB program and scheduling, team travel and other administrative duties. 

Walton on the promotion: "I am incredibly excited and honored to take on the role of Director of Basketball Operations. Lousville has always been home to me and I'm thrilled to be continuing to contribue to the success of our program.." 

Walz on Walton: Cortnee has alleays exemplified the qualitites we value in our program. Her leadership and understanding of what it takes to excel both on and off the court will make her the perfect fit for this new role." 

We love this for "Cort" and know she will do a great job as DOBO. 

paulie

The Tiger is Out of the Bag -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Cards Set to Add Amanda Butler to Staff

There is some news swirling around the Louisville women's basketball program. You may have heard of it. Certainly not from us, though, because we all agree we didn't say anything about it, right? Exactly. 

We all thought the news was set to become official this week, but it ultimately didn't. Nevertheless, Louisville's worst kept secret about their new hire became a little harder to keep under wraps when photographs of the team at bonding and charity events began surfacing on social media. Once someone noticed who all was in them, the announcement has just about been made for UofL. 

The person I'm referring to is Peyton Siva, who switched sides of the Planet Fitness Kueber Center to join Jeff Walz... I'm kidding, of course; it's Amanda Butler. Butler will join the Louisville coaching staff in a capacity that we aren't fully clear on yet. Perhaps Louisville isn't either, and that's what is delaying the announcement. The addition of the seasoned head coach will bring some new ideas into the locker room as the Cards try to find their way after a season of missed opportunities. 

Butler is set to join the Cards after being fired following her fifth season at Clemson. She went 69-87 during her tenure there, following her best season in her first year (20-13 and an NCAA second round appearance) with her worst in the next season (8-23, 3-15). Clemson hasn't made the tournament since that 2018-19 season, but they did make it to the WNIT Super 16 last year after a 19-16 regular season. 

Prior to Clemson, Butler spent 10 seasons at Florida where she won 20+ games six times and made the NCAA tournament on four occasions. Butler's head coaching career began at Charlotte, where she took the 49ers to the WNIT second round twice in a row after seasons of 21 and 19 wins. Overall, Butler's head coaching record stands at 299-226 with 13 combined postseason appearances. It will be interesting to see where the Mt. Juliet, Tennessee native ends up on the bench for Louisville, but it is highly likely that she'll serve as a positive influence no matter what. 

When we know more on this one, we'll be sure to share. 

Louisville Swimmers Vie for Olympic Berths

You may have heard about a major event ongoing in Indianapolis. The US Swimming Olympic Trials are being held at Lucas Oil Stadium, where earlier this week the record for the largest attendance at an indoor swimming meet was held. Small side note: my company is part of the dynamic design team that has transformed the home of the Colts into a massive natatorium for a week. I didn't work on it, but it's pretty cool anyway. 

Louisville has 21 swimmers trying to qualify for this year's Paris Games, and they're part of 1,007 total swimmers covering 28 events. The top two finishers for each event (assuming the times are Olympic A-cuts) will qualify for Team USA. The top six of the 100 and 200 freestyle will be added to the relay roster spots.

On the women's side, Louisville is represented by Gabi Albiero (100 Fly, 100 Free, 50 Free), Summer Cardwell (200 fee, 400 free), Mia Cheatwood (100 Breast), Julia Dennis (100 Free, 50 Free), Paige Hetrick (100 Back, 50 free), Lucy Mehraban (50 free, 100 Free), Christiana Regenauer (100 Fly, 100 Free, 50 Free), Rye Ulett (100 back, 200 back), Tristen Ulett (100 Fly, 100 Free, 200 Free, 50 Free), and Ella Welch (100 Fly). Today's events are the Women's 50 Free and Men's 1500 Free prelims, the Women's 50 Free semifinal, and the finals for the Men's 100 Fly, Women's 200 Individual Medley, and Women's 800 Free. Tomorrow will conclude the event with the finals of the Women's 50 Free and the Men's 1500 Free. 

TV coverage for the final two days of the event include qualifying heats at 6:30pm on USA Network (taped coverage of the heats from earlier today on Peacock) and finals at 8pm tonight on NBC. Tomorrow will also have finals at 8pm on NBC. 

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast

We'll have plenty to talk about, of course, with new additions to the volleyball commit list, the unofficially official Butler hire, and more. We're without Daryl this week, but we'll have four on the call again with Jared finally finding his way home from Lynn Family Stadium. You can check out the live stream of the show by going to the Cardinal Couple YouTube page and clicking on the live video. Jeff usually creates that about an hour before the show, which officially starts at 11 AM Eastern. If the live time doesn't work for you, there are plenty of playback options, so be sure to check out whichever is best for you!

Cardinal Couple YouTube: Link

Spotify: Link

Apple Podcasts: Link

Google Podcasts: Link

Overcast (free account required): Link

Pocket Casts (free account and app required): Link

RadioPublic: Link

Until next time, Go Cards!

Case