BUTLER TWP — The Butler School Board unanimously approved Mark Maier as the high school's varsity girls basketball coach Monday night.

The vote was 8-0. Board member David Korn was absent.

“I'm super excited,” Maier said. “There's no better place to coach than at your alma mater.”

Maier is a 1988 Butler graduate who became the first Golden Tornado boys basketball player to score 1,000 points. He tallied 1,216 points in his varsity career and was a three-time first team all-section player.

Maier also scored more than 1,000 points at Indiana (Pa.) University, sinking 141 3-point field goals there. He is believed to be the only Butler boys basketball player to score 1,000 points in high school and college.

“He has a real passion for Butler basketball and the long-time tradition of it here,” Butler athletic director Bill Mylan said. He was part of that tradition. That will serve him well here.”

Maier served as assistant varsity coach and head junior varsity coach under Joe Lewandowski the past two seasons. Lewandowski was 13-31 in those two years, including 10-12 with a WPIAL Class 6A playoff appearance last season.

Butler had no seniors on that 2016-17 squad.

“A lot of times, when a coach takes over a high school program, you're looking at a reclamation project or you're starting from rock bottom,” Maier said. “I know I'm taking over a solid program that's ready to win and we just want to keep going.

“We don't have to reinvent the wheel here, just a few tweaks here and there. Are the expectations high? Of course. The goal should always be to win a state championship. If you don't get there, the season is not a failure, obviously. There are minor victories along the way.”

Mylan said eight individuals applied for the position and six were interviewed. The school board voted 6-3 to open up the position a few weeks ago.

“We had some highly qualified applicants. This was a difficult decision,” Mylan said. “Mark has an impressive basketball background and we like the relationship he's built with the girls as JV coach as well as varsity.”

“He is a highly competitive person who did some good things as a player at Butler. We feel he's the right person to move this program in the direction we want to go.”

Maier becomes Butler's third head girls basketball coach in the past four years.

“Our seniors have been nothing but troopers through that,” Maier said. “They've done and are doing everything we ask of them.”

Prior to being named head coach, Maier and Jerry Markle — another assistant under Lewandowski last year — coached the Butler girls in summer league play. The team won four of seven games in that circuit.

“We got into the league late and they backloaded our schedule for us,” Maier said. “We had 20 to 24 girls involved. The summer ball, open gym, none of those things are mandatory.

“The program has healthy numbers.”

Markle will be one of the Golden Tornado assistant coaches next season. Maier said he will meet with Mylan Thursday to discuss the other assistant positions.

“I'll get with Bill, get the keys to the ship and we'll get going,” Maier said. “Jerry and I have a good rapport with each other. Our incoming junior class, he coached in eighth grade. We work well together and share the same philosophies.”

Maier has two daughters — incoming eighth-grader Makenna and fifth-grader Avery — involved in youth travel basketball.

“They love the game. They came to our summer games and are involved in Butler basketball,” Maier said. “I was born and raised in Butler. I'm deeply invested in this program.

“I would love to coach my girls up here (in high school) someday. I've coached them in youth. I'd love to see that work out.”

First, he wants to win — now.

“Most of the varsity girls from last year are coming back and there's a good crop of ninth graders coming in,” Maier said. “I can't wait.”