Coach Randy Butler is the latest recipient of "Making Middletown Marvelous" honors from #MiddletownRI. Butler's drive to give back to the community and helping its youth through basketball and life lessons were applauded loudly Monday night.
RANDY BUTLER IS MIDDLETOWN MARVELOUS
MIDDLETOWN, RI (MARCH 18, 2025) – Randy Butler is Making Middletown Marvelous.
At a meeting earlier this week in Town Hall, the Town Council recognized the local basketball coach and youth advocate with the town’s latest Marvelous award.
Nominated by Councilor Chris Logan, Butler was applauded for his tireless efforts to educate and improve the lives of local students of all ages in a compassionate, understanding and straightforward manner.
In addition to a citation from the council, Butler received several gifts including a town tile.
“I’m happy doing what I do and will continue to give back,” Butler said. “It’s definitely needed.”
Logan said Butler was far too modest and an ideal nominee for Marvelous recognition.
“Randy is a pillar in the Middletown community with the work he does to promote the health and wellness for our kids,” Logan wrote in his nomination form. “His work across the Butler Basketball Club, the school backpack drive with our Police Department and his latest endeavor, Island Life Skills, just to name a few.”
“Randy works tirelessly devoting his time, energy, efforts and most importantly, his knowledge and passion to the kids in our community,” Logan continued. “He is unwavering and dedicated to ensuring our kids have opportunities and an outlet to grow here in Middletown. Cheers to Randy, he is a great man and friend to all of Middletowners and the surrounding communities.”
Butler is no stranger to the spotlight and accolades, whether here on Aquidneck Island or on a national level.
Over the past few years, he’s been honored by everyone from the Women’s Resource Center of Newport & Bristol Counties, the NAACP to Rogers High School in Newport and more.
In March 2019, Butler was named as the Junior Boston Celtics Coach of the Year. One image in a social media post by the Celtics showed Butler waving to the crowd and in another he posed with then Head Coach and now Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens.
But that’s not the first time Butler drew the limelight locally.
A 1993 Rogers graduate, Butler was featured regularly on the sports pages of The Newport Daily News newspaper as a 1,000 point scorer.
Butler has said it seemed like there were basketball tournaments every weekend across Aquidneck Island when he was growing up.
But as he got older, those hoops games started to fade out, leading Butler and his wife Janetta Donovan to found the Butler Basketball Club in 2016.
The aim of the club was to bring area youth, law enforcement and others together through basketball. The group’s slogan was “One Island, One Community,” words it still lives by today.
The club’s first big showcase was a basketball tournament with local police and kids from Middletown, Newport and Portsmouth on the outdoor courts at Gaudet Middle School. The August 2016 event drew large crowds and rave reviews.
Since then, the club’s reach has evolved and expanded. Butler regularly hosts basketball skills training sessions at area gyms, where he uses a mix of humor and tough love to spread his message.
The club has drawn huge international stars to its events. One example was WNBA All-Star Chiney Ogwumike, who led a two-hour clinic at the Martin Recreation Center — also known as The Hut — in Newport. Ogwumike was playing for the Connecticut Sun squad at the time and now is seen nightly on ESPN’s basketball television coverage.
Currently, the club is holding its Island Life Skills series to better prepare area youth for the real world. Sessions include everything from financial literacy and money management to writing a resume, job interviews, African history and heritage, lifesaving skills and more.
In addition to hands-on activities and experiences, each the Island Life Skills seminars include guest speakers.
There have also been field trips like the one to the Florence K. Murray Judicial Complex in Newport. There, students met District Court Judge J. Terence Houlihan and defense attorney Kevin Hagan, who serves as a vice president on the basketball club’s board and is a Municipal Court Judge in Middletown.
Butler also coaches the boys basketball team at Gaudet Middle School. To learn more about the Butler Basketball Club, visit https://mdl.town/Butler-Basketball online.
Previous winners of the Marvelous honors include Melody Mulcahey, Lois Murray, Lizzie Davidson, Katie Tavares, Marion Welch and Maria Fombellida.
If you know someone who deserves to be recognized by the Town of Middletown, nominate them today at https://mdl.town/Marvelous online.
Document Link: https://mdl.town/NYCU-Butler-Marvelous
About Middletown
The Town of Middletown is a vibrant municipality located on Aquidneck Island, known for its scenic beauty, historic landmarks, diverse economy and strong sense of community. For more information about all we have to offer, visit MiddletownRI.gov online.
Media Contact
Matt Sheley
Public Affairs Officer
401-842-6543
msheley@middletownri.gov