More than a decade and a half after he and his teammates took the sports world by storm, former Butler forward Gordon Hayward is going back to where his rise to stardom began.
Hayward is joining the Bulldogs as their "executive basketball advisor," Butler announced in a Tuesday morning statement. Per the Bulldogs, Hayward will provide perspective to the program on "talent evaluation and recruitment, player development, and team culture."
"There were a lot of people who were instrumental in my development on and off the court during my time at Butler, and I'm excited to give back to the program by helping today's Bulldogs in a similar way," Hayward said in the Bulldogs' release.
Hayward, 35, retired from basketball in Aug. 2024 after a 14-year career split between four teams. He made an All-Star team with the Jazz in 2017 and averaged 15.2 points per game for his career.
It was with Butler, however, that Hayward achieved his greatest glory. After starring in the Horizon League in 2009 and 2010, he caught fire for the 5-seed Bulldogs in the '10 NCAA tournament. His 22 points in the Elite Eight against Kansas State sent Butler to the Final Four, and he nearly made a half-court shot as time expired to beat Duke in the national championship.
The Bulldogs—sans an NCAA tournament appearance since 2018—are scheduled to open their season on Nov. 5 against Southern Indiana.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Gordon Hayward, Star of Butler's 2010 Team, Takes New Role With Alma Mater.
