It was not long after the Clemson women’s basketball program wrapped up its best season in nearly two decades before other schools started calling about Amanda Butler.

In fact, it was two schools, including one in the SEC, that wanted Butler to interview for their head coaching vacancies.

What Butler did at Clemson this past season was nothing short of miraculous. In her first year, Butler led the Lady Tigers to their best season in nearly two decades, including their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2002 and first 20-win season since 2001.

The Tigers advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Clemson finished the year with a 20-13 overall record, including a 9-7 mark in the ACC, the program’s best finish in conference play since 2002. The Tigers, who were 1-15 in league play in 2018, won exactly nine games combined in the ACC the previous four years.

Butler’s first-year success placed her in the national spotlight as she was named one of 10 semifinalists for Naismith Women’s College Coach of the Year. She also was named the ACC Coach of the Year.

Knowing other schools were starting to court Butler, Clemson athletic director Dan Radakovich did not want to take any chances, so he asked the Clemson Board of Trustees to give Butler a $50,000 raise and add another year back on her contract, which they approved last Friday.

“I love being a Clemson Tiger. I really do,” Butler said. “I think when you have dreams of doing really good things, that has to be a shared vision with leadership. So, having a leader like Dan and the board of trustees having the faith in me to continue to lead and express it in that way is something I am really grateful for.

“I’m just excited to continue the journey and see where we go from here and keep growing together.”

Butler says its nice to get some attention when things are going well, and she is excited about the future of the women’s basketball program at Clemson. What she is also excited about is having a boss and a BOT that recognize the hard work she, her coaches and her players are putting in.

“It is nice to have a leader like Dan, who wants to express his support in the form of a contract. Hugs and high fives are nice as well, we get a lot of those. But contracts and that type of security and demonstration of how important women’s basketball is at Clemson is powerful,” she said.