Michael Butler begins tenth season as the head men's golf coach at Armstrong Atlantic State University and enters his fifth season as the head coach of the women's golf team for the Pirates.

Butler has led the AASU men to eight straight NCAA Regionals appearances, including hosting the NCAA Atlantic/Southeast Regional at Savannah Quarters Golf Club in 2007, as well as an NCAA Division II National Championship Runner-Up finish in 2005, also hosted by the Pirates at the Westin Savannah Harbor Resort and Spa.

Meanwhile, Butler has directed the fledgling women's golf team for the last four seasons and this year will have an opportunity to compete for the first-ever Peach Belt Conference Championship in women's golf.

Butler became the head coach of the reinstated AASU men's golf team in 2000 and has produced seven GCAA All-Americans in the last six seasons, including two-time All-America Chris Wolfe, who finished his career in 2008.

Butler's extensive teaching experience comes from his direction of the Georgia School of Golf at Southbrige Golf Club in Savannah. A Savannah native Benedictine HS graduate, Butler earned NJCAA All-America honors at Florida Community College at Jacksonville. He competed for the U.S. in the 1990 World University Games in Montpelier, France, then continued his career at Jacksonville State University, where he was a two-time NCAA Division II All-America honoree for the Gamecocks. Butler and his wife, Whitney, currently reside in Savannah with their newborn son, Christopher.

Von Shenefelt begins his second year assisting with both the men's and women's golf teams at Armstrong Atlantic State for 2009-10.

Shenefelt finished his playing career for the Pirates in the fall of 2008, graduating in December with a bachelor's degree in health science. In the spring of 2009, Shenefelt began assisting head coach Michael Butler with both the men's and women's programs.

A native of Wexford, Pa., Shenefelt played in nine tournaments in his AASU career, with a career-best round of 73 at the AASU/Southbridge Pirate Invitational on Feb. 28, 2006. He finished 45th at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional in 2008, AASU's seventh straight trip to the NCAA Championships.

Shenefelt is currently pursuing a master's degree in sports medicine from AASU.