“Coach Was Sick From Cancer”: Women’s Team’s Underdog Story Receives Touching Tribute from Charles Barkley

Charles Barkley gives credit where it’s due. The basketball world saw a heartbreaking loss with the death of Georgetown basketball head coach Tasha Butts ahead of the current season. After bravely battling with breast cancer for two years, Butts succumbed to the disease and passed away last year in October. Months after the devastating news, the Philadelphia 76ers legend Barkley took it upon himself to pay tribute to the basketball team and their journey while dealing with the loss as well as the pressure of the games.

On the latest episode of the Steam Room podcast, Barkley detailed the entire story and about the team’s next coach’s efforts with the listeners. “Georgetown women’s basketball coach Darnell Haney. So they had a coach named Tasha Butts. She died before the season, of cancer… she never coached a game at Georgetown. He took over, Darnell Haney. They were picked to finish 10th. He got them all the way to the championship game where they lost to UConn.” But it was a moment after the game that impressed Chuck.

“During the press conference, one of the girl said, ‘We just been told Coach Haney is going to get the job,’ and man, to see the tears of joy on this young lady and him, they showed them in a locker room. And man it was a pure joy thing because those girls had to be stressed when their coach was sick from cancer and passed away and then to be picked at the bottom of your league.”

He then pointed out how this was their most successful season in years. “They won the most games in like 10-15 years if I remember correctly. But just to see the elation, the joy they were playing with and the joy when he got the job.…I just want to give him his love, man,” said Barkley. They finished the regular season with a 22-11 record, their best performance in over a decade.

As Barkley mentioned, it wasn’t easy for the team to deal with the passing of their head coach while also worrying about competing.

Darnell Haney won over the basketball world with his Georgetown Hoyas

When it was announced that Haney would assume the permanent role of the head coach for the Hoyas, he emotionally detailed the players and staff’s ordeal and the patience and hard work with which they countered the situation. 

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The team members and players have also expressed their gratitude to the coach. As described by the players, Haney was largely responsible for the team’s success by maintaining a warm and familial culture while keeping them focused. And, truly thanks to Haney’s inspirational efforts, their performances against Creighton and UConn have secured the Hoyas a position worthy of consideration for a tournament berth. 

Previously, Haney has worked as the head coach for the Jones High School girls’ basketball team and most recently at Jacksonville University for five years. While after the tragic passing of coach Butts, Haney was selected as the interim head coach, and he finally managed to find his way up to his dream job.

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