DAVID ALAN BUTLER
Over 50 years in pole vaulting, over 45 years Coaching, over 22 years at Rice University
World recognized “Pole Vault Historian”
Member of the USA National Pole Vault Summit Staff and
The North American Pole Vault Association
USA Pole Vault Hall of Fame Committee
COACHING
Fort Wayne Indiana, Jefferson Junior High School 1977
Fort Wayne Indiana, Snider High School 1977-1978
New Haven High School
The University of Tennessee Graduate Assistant 1979- 1981
Houston Spring Branch Memorial High School 1983-2000
Rice University Men and Women’s Track and Field 2000-Current
Coached State Champions and Medalists in Indiana 1978, Tennessee 1980, Texas 1985, 1998, 2000
Coach of the 1998 Indoor and Outdoor High School National Champion
Coach of the First Texas High School Girls Pole Vault State Champion 2000
Coached Texas State and USA National Medalists in Shot Put, Discus, High Jump, Pole Vault
The 1998 USA High School National Pole Vault Coach of the Year
Member of the New Haven High School Athletic Hall of Fame 2006
Member of the Houston SBISD Memorial High School Athletic Hall of Fame 2004
Recognized as “the Father of the Texas State High School Girls Pole Vault”
22 YEARS AS A “VOLUNTEER COACH” at RICE UNIVERSITY
Over 80 Conference and National Medals earned by Rice University Pole Vaulters
Coached nine All-Americans in the Vault and Decathlon and seven NCAA Qualifiers
Coach of the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor National Champions 2009
Coached the USATF Indoor Silver Medalist 2015
Coached the 2010 USATF Nationals Bronze Medalist
Pole Vault Coach for the 2004 NCAA Decathlon National Champion
Coached Athletes in five Olympic Trials
Mentored and Technical Consultant for numerous world class athletes and Olympians:
Ben Broeders (Belgium), Diamara Cruz (Puerto Rico), Kurt Felix (Guyana)
Technical Coach for Morgann LeLeux Romero, 2021 Olympic Team
My drills utilized by Jenn Suhr, 2012 Olympic Champion
Mentored 2004 Olympic Champion, Tim Mack
Mentored and Consulted with the 2021 Olympic Champion Mondo Duplantis
ACCOLADES and THE WRITTEN WORD
Considered “One of the top Technicians in the World”
Nicknamed “The Zen Master of the Pole Vault” in America
Recognized by USA Track for “my contribution to the development of the pole vault in the USA 1997
Awarded the North American Pole Vault Association “Sports Culture Award” 2013
Creator of the Instructional Video “Steel to Fiberglass, 130 Drills and Exercises for the Pole Vault 2005
Articles Published in “The Pole Vault Standard”, “Techniques” Magazine, “Vaulter Magazine”,
“Take Off Magazine”, and others
Recognized in the International Publications “Beginner to Bubka” Launder 2005
“Who’s Who in the Pole Vault” Dumas 2004
“The Illustrated History of the Pole Vault” Johnson 2007
Originator of the Facebook site, “The Pole Vault, A Museum of its History” as I share my vast collection of pole vaulting images, art and films.
The Pole Vault, A Violent Ballet
It is called “the best book about the pole vault since 1980”
The book has sold in over 40 countries around the world.
Numerous Olympians have my book > Fred Hansen, Dave Roberts, Stacy Dragila, Sergei Bubka, Maksim Tarasov, Ron Morris, Mondo Duplantis, Tim Mack, Scott Huffman, Maurice Houvion, Sam Kendricks, Phillipe Collet, Bob Seagren, Gregory Yegorov, Renato Dionisi
PRESENTATOR and FEATURE SPEAKER, MASTER TEACHER
Numerous presentations at the USA National Pole Vault Summit, Reno NV 1994- 2022
Bangkok, Thailand
Mito, Japan
Somero, Finland
Ghent, Belgium
Cologne, Germany (two presentations)
Victoria, British Colombia
Padua, Italy
San Juan, Puerto Rico (National Consultant) NACAC three presentations
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (NACAC)
USA Texas > Nevada, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Virginia, Kentucky, Illinois, Louisiana, Florida
Numerous athletes and coaches travel to Rice University to learn and understand my teachings
Portugal, Japan, Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand
HIGH SCHOOL CHAMPIONS >
Jim Autenreith, Ally Daum, Ron Vernasco, Kurt Siebold, John Autenreith, Bill Collins, Mandy Shefman,
Jeff Mueller, Kelly Stephens, Brian Goodfriend, Eric Lobdell, Allysa Little, Kenneth Bigger
University All-Americans and Champions > Beth Hinshaw, Ally Daum, Ari Ince, Rachel Greff, Jason Colwick, Ryan Harlan, Chris Pillow, Philip Adam, Scott Filip, Clayton Chaney, Mckenzie Johnson, Ryan Walsh, Shea Kearney, Natan Rivera, Alexander Slinkman
Elites > Chris Steddum, Morgann Leleux, Alicia Warlick, Ricky Barker
I am a graduate of Ball State University, Muncie Indiana 1976 where I broke the School Record in 1976
My Master’s was earned at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 1981
Retired Educator for 33 years, Middle School Art and Elementary Physical Education
Artist, Writer, Bicyclist
