Butch Hays brings more than four decades of professional basketball experience to the Reebok AABL, with a career spanning the United States, Europe and Australia.

A University of California, Berkeley guard, Hays was selected by the Chicago Bulls in the 1984 NBA Draft before building an extensive international playing career across Europe and the Australian NBL. He became one of the NBL’s leading guards of the 1990s, playing 232 games across Adelaide, Illawarra, Newcastle, North Melbourne and Canberra while averaging 18.6 points and 6.0 assists per game.

Hays has since built an extensive coaching career across Australia, the United States and England, working with athletes from junior development through to senior competition. His coaching has included the Maitland Mustangs, Karuah Kinnections and development programs across Newcastle, Maitland, Wollongong and Adelaide.

As Head Coach of the Fury, Hays brings NSW AABL athletes direct experience from professional basketball at some of the highest levels of the game.