These are words often used to describe Arizona women's basketball coach Niya Butts. One of the most sought after young coaches in the country, Butts eagerly accepted the responsibility to continue to build on the strong tradition of Arizona women's basketball and to take the program to new heights. She is the eighth head coach in the program's history and is the first African American female head coach at the University of Arizona.

Arizona named Butts its new women's basketball head coach on April 3, 2008, ushering in a new era in Wildcat women's basketball.

"We are absolutely thrilled to be starting a new era with Niya as our head coach," said former athletic director Jim Livengood. "She brings playing experience, championship experience, coaching and recruiting experience and a bright, young mind. I can attest that we had a number of quality candidates for this job, but the direction we expect to head with Niya gives us immediate cause for optimism and downright anticipation. I believe everyone connected with the program will soon share those feelings -- let's get this thing started. "

In just two seasons, Butts has achieved a number of milestones early on in her head coaching career. She led the Wildcats to a tournament championship in the first weekend of her career in Hawaii, then helped the Wildcats to the 2nd round of the Pac-10 Tournament. This past season, the Wildcats posted their highest win total in five seasons while also achieving the most Pac-10 wins for the program in that same span.

Butts came to Tucson from the University of Kentucky where she spent five seasons as an assistant coach. In her final season in Lexington, she served as Kentucky's associate head coach, and was the program's recruiting coordinator for three seasons. While at UK, Butts secured two top-10 recruiting classes, solidifying her status as one of the best young coaching talents in the nation.

"It is an amazing feeling to be the head coach at Arizona," Butts said. "This is the opportunity I have been waiting for. Arizona is a place where you can consistently attract some of the country's top athletes. With our strong academic reputation, state-of-the-art facilities and overall support from the athletics administration and community, I believe that we can compete not only for conference titles but also on the national level. I am dedicated at working tirelessly to ensure that our student-athletes excel in the classroom, on the court and as proud giving members of the Tucson community."