Coaches

Doug Chance

Doug Chance begins his 16th season at the helm of Butler softball, as he has guided the Grizzlies to 10 NJCAA National Tournament appearances – including back-to-back national championships in 2016 and 2017.


In 2019, Chance led the Grizzlies to their fourth straight NJCAA Tournament, marking the second time in program history that Butler has made four consecutive tourneys. Butler has reached the NJCAA Final Four in four of the past seven seasons.


With a dominating .803 winning percentage as head coach, Chance is the winningest coach in Grizzly program history, amassing a 660-162 record. Under Chance, the Grizzlies have collected 12 Jayhawk Conference titles, 10 Region VI titles, five top-10 finishes, a 2018 NJCAA third-place tourney finish and a 2013 NJCAA final four appearance. In the last 11 seasons, Butler has been ranked no lower than 17th in the NJCAA poll – including a No. 1 ranking in 2013, 2014, 2017 and 2018.


In his 15 seasons at Butler, Chance has coached 26 All-Americans (both NJCAA and NFCA), 126 Jayhawk Conference selections and received the KJCCC Coach of the Year 11 times.


Chance won his 600th game on April 15, 2018 vs. Dodge City.


Chance's commitment to the players and their future, however, is his greatest accomplishment. Chance utilizes his experience and contacts with major softball programs to give players every opportunity to play at the next level – evidenced by the fact that 70 former Butler players have signed with NCAA programs, 44 of those in Division I programs. Since coming to Butler, Chance has had more players sign Division I than all of the other 20 Kansas community college programs combined.


During the 2017 national title run, Chance led the Grizzlies to set school records in nearly every category, including conference wins in a season (24), overall wins in a season (58), most consecutive wins (88, 2016-17), fewest losses in a season (1), team batting average (.417), highest national ranking (No. 1 in 2013, 2014 and 2017), home runs in a season (135), which also still stands as a Region VI record and lowest team ERA (1.20). In addition, the Grizzlies led the nation in home runs in four seasons (2005-2007, 2017).


Chance also cares about how his players perform in the classroom. Butler softball has led the Jayhawk Conference in GPA four times (2008, 2009, 2012 and 2013). In 2013, Butler had a team GPA of 3.33 and had four players earn Academic All-American honors, including two players (Mac Millspaugh and Alex Millspaugh) who earned the Pinnacle Award for Academic Excellence for finishing their careers with perfect 4.0 grade point averages.


A native of Wichita, Kan., Chance comes to Butler from Wichita East High School where he served as head coach of the Aces in 2004. Prior to coaching at East High, Chance served as assistant coach at Wichita State University in 2002, and as assistant coach at Friends University from 1998-2001. He also coached six years of summer softball which includes one State Championship (2002) and two USSSA World Series Championships (2002 & 2004).


Doug played men's fast pitch softball from 1986 to 2003, and played in two district tournaments, twelve state tournaments, and three regional tournaments during that time.


From 1991 to 1998, Chance coached six semi-pro baseball teams to berths in the National Baseball Congress World Series. He helped the Wichita Sluggers record a third place finish in the NBC World Series in 1996. He also played in six MSBL World Series.


Chance earned a Bachelor's of Ministry from Christian Leadership University. Doug and wife, Suzanne, are parents of a son and two daughters.