INDIANAPOLIS — Butler University is welcoming back one of its own to take the helm of the women's basketball team.
The university announced on Wednesday that 2005 Butler alum Maria Marchesano will be replacing former coach Austin Parker.
Marchesano is stepping down from her head coaching position at Purdue Fort Wayne, which she has led to three consecutive 20-win seasons and postseason appearances.
According to the announcement, Marchesano’s 14-year head coaching career includes 234 wins across stops at Purdue Fort Wayne (five seasons), Mount St. Mary’s (four seasons), Walsh (three seasons) and Urbana (two seasons).
Welcome Home, Maria! 🐶🏀
— Butler Women’s Basketball (@ButlerUWBB) April 8, 2026
📰: https://t.co/j2K1uDGOkn@CoachMarchesano | #ButlerWay pic.twitter.com/48zbQNSTl7
“We are excited to bring Maria home to Butler,” Vice President and Director of Athletics Grant Leiendecker said in a press release. “She is a proven program-builder, a coach who has achieved success at every university she has been. Maria will bring her immense talent, energy and commitment to Butler, a place that is incredibly special to her as someone who wore our jersey. Maria has a great vision for what our program can achieve and a solid plan on how to get there. The future is incredibly bright for Butler Women’s Basketball.”
Machesano will be introduced to the Butler community on Friday, April 10 with an event at noon in the Wildman Room of Hinkle Fieldhouse. The event is open the public and will be streamed on the Butler Athletics YouTube channel.
"Today is such a bittersweet day for me as I am both ecstatic to get rolling as the next head coach at Butler but also very sad and eternally grateful for my time in Fort Wayne,” said Marchesano in the release. “I am extremely blessed to call both Fort Wayne and Butler home. I want to extend a huge thank you to Grant (Leiendecker), President Danko and the entire search committee for their belief in me and the opportunity to come back to Indy and wear that Butler name with pride."
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