By, Steve Carpenter, HCC Sports Information (Photo courtesy of Hutchinson Community College)

HUTCHINSON, Kan. – On Sunday, Sam Butterfield died at the age of 96.

Butterfield came to Hutchinson as its men’s basketball coach before the 1956-57 season. After nine seasons on the bench, Butterfield became the Hutchinson athletic program’s second athletic director and kept that post until 1984.

Through that time, the Blue Dragon men’s basketball program grew into an NJCAA power and the overall athletic program became one of the strongest in the nation.

On Nov. 6, 2010, the Sports Arena court was named in honor of Sam Butterfield.

Butterfield came to Hutchinson in 1957. A track athlete at Emporia State, Butterfield cut his athletic career short as World War II started and he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. Upon his return to Kansas to finish his education and was contemplating a career as an athletic trainer. He instead became a coach.

Butterfield was hired at Hutchinson by Charles Sesher and brought a fast-paced, pressure defense, team-oriented style of play to the Sports Arena. The team and the town took to it right away.

Butterfield spent nine seasons on the Blue Dragon bench. He compiled a record of 178-61, including a 68-22 Jayhawk Conference record. His 178 coaching victories are fifth on Hutchinson’s coaches list behind only Sesher (259 wins), Gary Bargen (199 wins), Steve Eck (196 wins) and Gene Keady (187 wins).

Butterfield won seven Jayhawk Conference titles and made four NJCAA Tournament appearances in 1958, 1960, 1961 and 1966, finishing third in 1958.

In the summer of 1966, Butterfield stepped down as basketball coach and became the Blue Dragons’ Director of Athletics. His first hire was a basketball coach named Gene Keady.

Butterfield graduated from Emporia State University in 1947. He was an ESU Hall of Fame Inductee in 1992 and an original HCC Quarterback Club Hall of Fame inductee.

Funeral arrangements are pending.