Winston-Salem State appears ready to hire an HBCU rival, as Virginia Union’s Jay Butler is reportedly the choice for its head basketball job.
Multiple sources have indicated that Butler is WSSU’s choice to replace Corey Thompson. HBCU Gameday’s attempts to reach Butler were unsuccessful.
Butler’s VUU squad finished with a 25-6 record, getting an at-large bid to the NCAA Division II playoffs. His team took down West Liberty in the first round of the NCAA Tournament before falling to IUP.
Butler was named Atlantic Region Co-Coach of the Year by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC).
For his career, Butler has 356 wins, including the 2018 CIAA Tournament title. He has appeared in the NCAA Tournament four times, including wins in 2023 and 2026.
WSSU looking to get back on winning track
WSSU has been without a permanent head coach since firing Corey Thompson on Feb. 14. The Rams have won just 12 games since Cleo Hill Jr. departed the program back in the summer of 2024. The Rams won just four CIAA games in Thompson’s nearly-two season tenure.
Like Virginia Union, WSSU is an HBCU with a proud tradition. It has won 13 CIAA titles, second only to VUU. Its two most recent titles came under Hill in 2020 and 2023. But Hill’s departure led to two of the worst seasons in program history under Thompson.
Butler would be the second former Virginia Union basketball coach to be hired at WSSU in less than a year. Tierra Terry left VUU to take over at her alma mater after the 2024-2025 season. She led the WSSU women to its first CIAA title in program history and a Sweet 16.
HBCU roots
Butler played for legendary coach Dave Robbins, and was a key member of the Panther basketball program. He helped Virginia Union capture three straight CIAA championships and make four NCAA Division II appearances. Now he has the opportunity to coach in the spot that Clarence “Big House” Gaines made famous. Those are big shoes to fill in the HBCU and college basketball world.