Bill Buttner

Bill Buttner is a veteran golf coach and former professional golfer who has spent more than two decades guiding the Eckerd College men’s and women’s golf programs in NCAA Division II competition. Buttner joined the Tritons’ staff in 2002 as the head men’s golf coach and was instrumental in launching the women’s program in the 2006–07 season. After 21 years leading both teams, he retired as head coach in May 2023 and transitioned into the role of assistant coach for the 2023–24 season and beyond, entering his 24th overall year with Eckerd for the 2025–26 season. During his tenure as head coach, Buttner oversaw some of the most successful periods in Tritons golf history. Under his leadership, the men’s team reached the NCAA Tournament in 2005–06, 2011–12, and 2012–13, marking three of the program’s four total NCAA berths. He also coached multiple individual qualifiers to NCAA Championship play, including C.J. Denmark, Callum Georgallides, and Jeff Evanier, with Evanier earning GCAA Honorable Mention All-American honors in 2013—the first in program history. On the women’s side, Buttner guided the program to record performances, including a No. 29 national ranking in the 2022–23 season and the emergence of Amelie Alcantara, who became the first Eckerd player to qualify for the NCAA Tournament and was named a WGCA First Team All-American. Buttner was recognized as Sunshine State Conference Coach of the Year in 2005 and, alongside Susan McDermott, founded the annual Matthew T. McDermott Fundraising Tournament to honor the former Eckerd golfer who died in the September 11 attacks. Before embarking on his coaching career, Buttner enjoyed a notable professional golf career spanning 15 years, including six seasons on the PGA Tour with five top-10 finishes and five U.S. Open appearances. A University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill graduate (Class of 1978), he later became a certified Class A PGA Professional in 1985 and transitioned to teaching and coaching. At Eckerd, his long legacy has shaped both golf programs’ competitive and academic success, and he remains a respected figure in the Triton athletics community.