Butler head coach Ronald Nored has hired veteran assistant Kotie Kimble as a member of his initial Bulldog coaching staff. Kimble arrives with more than 20 years of experience, most recently helping Furman to the 2026 NCAA Tournament and Miami (Fla.) to the 2023 Final Four.
“I’m really excited to welcome Kotie and his family to Butler,” said Nored. “He’s widely respected throughout the industry as a recruiter and relationship-builder. He has been the coordinator for both efficient offenses and strong defenses, developing all-conference players at each of his coaching stops. Kotie brings a tremendous amount of experience and success to our program, and I’ll lean on him heavily as we build our program.”
In May 2023, Kimble was one of six select Division I men’s basketball assistant coaches who participated in the prestigious Champion Forum, hosted by the NCAA’s leadership in Indianapolis. In July 2020, Stadium’s Jeff Goodman ranked Kimble as a top-five assistant coach in Conference USA based off an anonymous poll of 20-plus coaches in the league.
AS AN ASSISTANT AT FURMAN (2025-26)
Kimble spent the 2025-26 season at Furman, helping the Paladins to 22 wins, the Southern Conference Tournament championship, and an appearance in the 2026 NCAA Tournament. Alex Wilkins was named a finalist for the 2025-26 Kyle Macy Award, presented annually to the top freshman in NCAA Division I college basketball. Wilkins also was named one of 30 finalists for the 2026 Lou Henson Award, presented annually to the NCAA Division I Mid-Major Player of the Year.
AS AN ASSISTANT AT MIAMI (FLA.) (2022-25)
During his three seasons in Coral Gables, Fla., Kimble helped Miami to 51 victories, including a record-setting 2023 campaign as the Hurricanes posted a 29-8 (15-5 ACC) record, claimed a share of the ACC regular season title, and made their first trip to the Final Four. Miami set or tied program bests in overall, ACC, regular season (24), home (16), top-25 (seven), top-10 (three), and top-five (two) wins en route to finishing a program-high third in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll.
Under Kimble’s leadership, Isaiah Wong won ACC Player of the Year and earned NABC Third Team All-America honors, while Jordan Miller was a second team All-ACC choice and Norchad Omier garnered third team All-ACC status. Wong and Miller were both selected in the second round of the 2023 NBA Draft.
AS AN ASSISTANT AT CHARLOTTE (2018-22)
A renowned recruiter, Kimble helped Charlotte sign the top class in Conference USA in each of his four years there. Included in that group was Jahmir Young, who twice received All-CUSA first-team accolades and won 2020 CUSA Freshman of the Year.
Inheriting a program that went 6-23 in 2017-18, the year before he arrived alongside head coach Ron Sanchez, Kimble helped Charlotte to a 16-13 campaign in 2019-20, good for the team’s most wins since 2013-14. Two years later, during the 2021-22 season, the 49ers exceeded that overall win total by going 17-14. Charlotte also again finished 10-8 in CUSA play, giving the team multiple winning league records in a three-year stretch for the first time since 2003-06.
AS AN ASSISTANT AT WILLIAM & MARY (2011-18)
Kimble spent seven years at the College of William & Mary, coaching a total of 17 CAA All-Academic Team honorees. From 2013-18, the Tribe had the best five-year stretch in program history, posting a combined mark of 96-62, including a 54-34 record in CAA action.
William & Mary won 17-plus games all five seasons and tallied double-digit conference triumphs each time. The Tribe won 20 games three years in a row, 2013-16, for the first time since 1949-51. In 2014-15, William & Mary won the CAA regular season title for the third time ever and first since 1998. That year, the Tribe went 20-13 (12-6 CAA), reached the NIT for the third time in program history and made the CAA Tournament title game for the second year in a row.
During Kimble’s final year on staff in 2017-18, William & Mary became the first team in NCAA history to shoot 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3-point range and 80 percent at the line in a season. The Tribe led the nation in the latter two categories, at 43.4 and 81.1 percent, respectively. Kimble helped the team to a school-record 85.0 points per game, the third-best mark in CAA history. In addition, over Kimble’s final six years in Williamsburg, Va., the Tribe was one of only two teams, alongside Gonzaga, to rank top-30 nationally in field-goal percentage each season. He helped recruit and develop three 1,000-point scorers, including the program’s all-time leading scorer, Marcus Thornton, who tallied 2,178 points and won 2014-15 CAA Player of the Year honors.
AS AN ASSISTANT AT UNC-ASHEVILLE (2008-11)
Kimble got his coaching start at the University of North Carolina at Asheville, working under Eddie Biedenbach. The Bulldogs won double-digit Big South games, posted a winning conference record and finished top-four in the league each season. In 2010-11, UNC Asheville went 20-14 (11-7 Big South) and won the league tournament to earn the second NCAA Tournament berth in program history. Once in the field, the Bulldogs beat Arkansas-Little Rock to earn their first NCAA Tournament victory.
Additionally, that UNC Asheville team was just the second since 1986 to win 20 games. It finished No. 11 in the nation in defensive turnover percentage, per KenPom, a 223-spot improvement from the prior year. Two Bulldogs earned All-Big South distinction and three garnered All-Big South Tournament accolades, including Matt Dickey claiming first-team All-Big South honors and Big South Tournament MVP recognition.
AS A STUDENT ASSISTANT AT COASTAL CAROLINA (2003-07)
During his time as an undergraduate at Coastal Carolina, he served as a student assistant for two years under Pete Strickland and two under Buzz Peterson.
Kimble helped the Chanticleers to a 20-10 (12-4 Big South) record in 2005-06, as the team finished second in the league and made the conference tournament championship game. Led by Jack Leasure, the Big South Player of the Year, it marked the program’s first 20-win campaign since 1992-93.
PERSONAL
Kimble and his wife, JaNae, have one daughter, Kennedy Blair. A native of Edgefield, S.C., Kimble graduated from Coastal Carolina University in 2007 with a degree in history.
Kimble’s Coaching Career
2026-27 – Butler, Assistant Coach
2025-26 – Furman, Assistant Coach
2022-25 – Miami (Fla.), Assistant Coach
2018-22 – Charlotte, Assistant Coach
2011-18 – William & Mary, Assistant Coach
2008-11 – UNC-Asheville, Assistant Coach
2003-07 – Coastal Carolina, Student Assistant Coach
Kotie Kimble added to Butler Basketball Staff
