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Women's Track & Field
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- stavhop@comcast.net
Widely regarded as one of the top technicians in the world, the "Zen Master of the pole vault," David Butler begins his 25th year as an assistant coach of both the men's and women's pole vaulters at Rice University, where he has produced over 70 conference and NCAA medal winners. Butler brings over 50 years of experience as a pole vaulter, educator, coach, clinician and historian.
Most recently, Butler has worked with Alexander Slinkman, who earned First Team All-American honors at the 2024 NCAA Indoor Championships after placing seventh. A year prior, he earned Second Team All-American honors at the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Championships (11th place) and also at the 2023 NCAA Indoor Championships (10th place). Under Butler's guidance, Slinkman has grabbed four C-USA pole vault titles and swept the indoor/outdoor pole vault titles at the conference meets in 2023 while setting a meet record at both (5.39m indoor, 5.43m outdoor). Slinkman was also a 2022 NCAA Outdoor All-American Honorable Mention after an 18th-place finish.
So far, out of the many highlights of Butler’s coaching career at Rice, the number one highlight has to be Jason Colwick capturing both the Indoor and Outdoor NCAA Championships in the Pole Vault in 2009. During that campaign Colwick cleared 18-9.25 (5.72) outdoors and 18-7.25 indoors (5.67). These are both school records and were the top marks in the NCAA that year. Colwick, who graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, also posted the top NCAA mark in 2008 with a jump of 18-2.5 (5.55) and, furthermore, went on to finish second at the NCAA Indoor Championships in 2010, jumping 18-0.5 (5.50), doing so, and was the USATF Outdoor Bronze Medalist.
Rice’s history in the pole vault is second to none in collegiate history. The Owls boasts two Olympic Medalists (Fred Hansen-Gold-1964 and Dave Roberts-Bronze-1976), six NCAA National Champions, 21 NCAA All Americans, and 30 Conference Champions. Coach Butler’s contribution to these counts has been substantial, specifically amassing two National Champions, six All-Americans and 12 Conference Champions during his time at Rice.
In addition to Colwick, Chris Pillow is a recent representation of Coach Butler’s major successes. Pillow finished his career as a three-time All-American, a five-time conference champion and a C-USA meet record setter for the Owls. Pillow’s personal bests are 18-4.5 (5.60) indoors and 18-0.5 (5.50) outdoors. Post collegiately, Pillow increased his indoor personal best by jumping 18-6.5 (5.65) to earn the Silver Medal at the USATF Indoor National Championships.
At the 2009 USA National Pole Vault Summit, Butler was awarded the 2009 Sports Culture Award for his work in promoting the history of the sport in the education of USA athletes and coaches. This award was given by the North American Pole Vault Association and the USA National Pole Vault Development Staff.
Coach Butler is a retired art teacher of 33 years who was inducted to the Spring Branch Memorial Athletics Hall of Fame in 2004, and into the New Haven High (Ind.) School Hall of Fame in 2006. He has been a featured speaker many times internationally and nationally, including: Cologne, Germany, European Pole Vault/High Jump Conference (2018); Mito, Japan Pole Vault Conference (2018); San Juan Puerto Rico, IAAF Pole Vault Conference (2018); Victoria, British Columbia, Canada Pole Vault Clinic (2014); and Somero, Finland Pole Vault Carnival (2012). Most recently he was a featured speaker in Padua, Italy (2022), Bangalore and Patiala, India (2022) and Takamatsu, Japan (2023). Nationally he has presented at state and local pole vault conferences and conventions in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Virginia, Kentucky, Nevada, Wisconsin and Louisiana. Additionally, he has presented in Texas too many times to count.
In 2023, Butler was invited to supervise the American pole vaulters at the Taiwan International Competition in Caotun, Taiwan.
Butler's articles have been published in Techniques Magazine, The Pole Vault Standard, and recognized in The Illustrated History of the Pole Vault, Beginner to Bubka, and The Who's Who in the Pole Vault. He is the creator of the "Steel to Fiberglass" and "140 Drills and Exercises for the Pole Vault" instructional DVDs, and the Facebook page, "The Vault: How Bamboo, Steel & Fiberglass Changed Our Lives." He most recently published The Pole Vault, A Violent Ballet.
Butler coached high school track and field for 23 years. He is recognized nationally for outstanding contribution to the development of the pole vault in the United States, and known as the "father of the girls' high school pole vault in Texas," for his work in bringing the sport to the Lone Star State in 2001. He was named the 1998 USA high school pole vault Coach of the Year and coached the 1998 high school indoor and outdoor national champion. Butler is an active member of the USA national pole vault developmental staff.
He is a former school record holder in the pole vault at Ball State (1976) and was featured in the documentary film, "The Right to Vault," a documentary about women's pole vault. Butler currently resides in Houston.
