Arizona AD Greg Byrne released the following statement today regarding the future of head coach Niya Butts:

“After evaluating our women’s basketball program and head coach Niya Butts, we have determined that Coach Butts will continue as our head coach,” Byrne said. “Although the program is not currently where I want it to be from a win-loss perspective, we signed Coach Butts to a five-year contract and we believe she should be able to see it through.”

The 11th-seeded Wildcats lost to the 6-seed Bruins in the first round of the Pac-12 tournament in Seattle on Thursday, closing out the season with a 10-20 record, and 3-15 in the Pac-12. This comes one year after Arizona tied a program record for losses, going 5-25 (1-17). The two-year stretch is the UA’s worst in 33 years.

“Obviously the season didn’t turn out the way we wanted. This game didn’t turn out the way we wanted,” Butts said after Thursday’s game. "We have to make sure that we get ourselves ready and we’re better prepared next year.”