Wisconsin men’s hockey assistant coach Bill Butters announced he is leaving his position with the Badgers effective immediately according to the UW athletic department and head coach Mike Eaves.
"I can't thank Bill enough for the time he spent with our program," Eaves said in a press release Wednesday. "He has decided that it is in his best interest to return home to Minnesota to be with his family and to pursue other passions in his life. Bill is a good friend and a great hockey man. He has had a long and successful career in the game and, though I'm sad to see him go, I'm happy he will be able to move onto this next chapter in his life."
Eaves has already begun the process of looking for a new coach to replace Butters, who was in his third year as an assistant with UW.
Butters, who had previously played and coached at the University of Minnesota, was one of the top assistants on Eaves’ staff and played a role both on and off the ice, in coaching and recruiting.
"I believe it's time for me to move on from coaching," Butters said in a release. "I have appreciated Coach Eaves' support and friendship as I have come to this conclusion. Mike and I believe it will be in the best interests of both myself and the program if I take this step and return to my family and continue to develop the other pursuits on my horizon. It has been a fantastic opportunity to coach our players and work with the staff at Wisconsin."
The Badgers—who stand at 1-2-1 in the WCHA conference and 1-4-1 overall—have a bye week after coming off of a sweep at the hands of Colorado College. Wisconsin gets back in action Nov. 16-17 at Minnesota.
UWBadgers.com contributed to this report.
