Many know by now that NC State has hired a new assistant coach by the name of Butch Pierre. However, who exactly is Butch and why is he a good hire? Let’s breakdown where he has been and how he got to NC State.
Playing Career: 4 years Mississippi State Bulldogs (1980-1984)
Butch Pierre was a point guard for the Bulldogs and was a great defensive player who knew how to set up his team. He finished his playing career with 342 assists, landing him with 9th place all-time. In his four years at Mississippi State he learned the ins and outs of college basketball. His work ethic was recognized throughout his career and was rewarded with an assistant coaching job at Mississippi State upon graduation.
Coaching History:
- 1984-86 Assistant Coach Mississippi State
- 1886-88 Assistant Coach Kentucky State
- 1988-96 Assistant Coach Southwestern Louisiana
- 1996-97 Assistant Coach UNC Charlotte
- 1997-02 Assistant Coach LSU
- 2002-08 Assistant Head Coach LSU
- 2008 Interim Head Coach LSU
- 2008-16 Assistant Coach Oklahoma State
As evident above, Butch Pierre has been around college basketball for quite some time, and has plenty of experience coaching in competitive environments. His experience will be called upon in ACC play, as State will look to rebound from an awful 2015-2016 season.
While Butch was at Oklahoma State he was called upon to build their defensive scheme and philosophy. I cannot think of a greater area that NC State needs help in. It is no secret that Coach Gottfried’s weakness is on the defensive side of the ball, and he has stated that they must all improve heading into next season. Expect Gottfried to call upon Pierre for assistance in building a more respective defensive unit.
Key recruits:
- Glenn “big baby” Davis
- Marcus Thorton
- Stromile Swift
- Le’Bryan Nash
- Marcus Smart
- Garrett Temple
- Anthony Randolph
- Brandon Bass
- Ronald Dupri
- Jabari Smith
- Kevin Brooks
In his time with LSU, Pierre helped the Tigers secure 4 McDonalds All-Americans, 9 Parade All-Americans, 7 Junior College All-Americans, and 2 Junior College Players of the Year. While at Oklahoma State, he was instrumental in bringing the program’s highest rated recruit, Le’Bryan Nash (4th overall).
Not only has Pierre been recognized by his peers as an excellent coach/recruiter, but Dick Vitale named Pierre one of the top assistants in the country primed to become a head coach.
Moving forward:
It is clear that Gottfried doesn’t want to take any chances. Gottfried wants a proven commodity and Pierre fits that description beautifully. Another tidbit that I respect about Butch Pierre is that he knows the importance of education; not only did he graduate from Mississippi State but he also earned his Masters Degree from the Bulldogs.
Loyalty is evident in Pierre’s coaching history, as he has had long stays in both of his previous coaching jobs at Oklahoma State and LSU. NC State will need Pierre more than ever as they must start sealing some deals on the recruiting trail. Recruiting will not get any easier, especially in the ACC and close to Duke and UNC.
It will take some time to tell just how good of a hire Butch Pierre will be, but as of right now he appears to be a good fit and one that has the potential to help the Pack!
Whiney McWhinerson wolfpack74 Thank you for your compliment. I am mainly complaining about the number of transfers and the lack of recruiting (except for Smith). Even with everyone healthy last year, it would have made no major difference in where the basketball program finished. You should ask yourself what caused the team to be undermanned. Maybe, just maybe it is the lack in some aspect of Gottfried’s coaching ability. Way too many transfers to keep the program growing. Need to start with some long term recruits instead of one or two year players. Getting a raise and extension for below average performance… Read more »
You tell it wolfpack74! Screw Yow and her efforts to make NC State better. Did she not see that we finished 13th in the conference this year with an undermanned, injure-laden squad? Hello??? I expected at least a top 3 finish with that! And while the basketball team just epic fails and shows no hope for the future, why should we even acknowledge or waste time with any other sport on NC State’s campus???? ITS BASKETBALL COUNTRY!!! Who cares that NC State won the wrestling NCAA championship for the 15th time, national cheerleading championship, set ACC records in swimming for two… Read more »
How in the hell can someone get an extension and raise with a poorly performing team, losing members to transfer and not recruiting well at all (Smith is the exception although one and done). Yow has lost her mind and needs to be replaced. “Mark and Wes continue to elevate our basketball programs at NC State,” said Yow. “They are both building championship-level programs and are strong ambassadors for Wolfpack Nation who positively impact the experiences of our student-athletes on their respective squads.” Does she not remember we were 13th in conference this year and we continue to loose kids… Read more »
Pierre is probably a great guy and coach, but State needs someone to recruit and teach big guys not point guards. He will waste Pierre’s time. Maybe if Pierre works out at State, he can force out the dump shit that is now coaching.