Interview with John Butler, November 19, 2015

Interview Summary

In this interview, UK Baseball coach Keith Madison talks with former assistant coach, and current UK Athletics Compliance officer, John Butler. They discuss Butler's decision to come to UK. Butler had been teaching high school and coaching when he was offered the job at UK. Butler remembers players on the UK team. He talks about their strengths and personalities. Butler remembers when they had a limited budget and facilities and having to do maintenance on the baseball field. He recalls an incident of getting sick from pesticides. He talks about using a horse auction arena for an indoor practice facility. Butler talks about recruiting baseball players and the coaching strategy that he and Coach Madison used. Butler recalls his first impressions of UK's baseball facilities and the different changes that were made to the facilities. He talks about some of the innovations that they made at UK. Butler talks about getting qualified for the NCAA and the season leading up to it. He talks about his career at Georgia Southern University and going to the College World Series. He talks about playing at Miami Dade College.

Interview Keyword

Coaches (Athletics) Baseball players

Interview LC Subject

Athletics--United States University of Kentucky--Baseball Baseball coaches

Interview Rights

All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries.

Interview Usage

Interviews may be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, Special Collections, University of Kentucky Libraries.