Entering his second season as the associate head coach for the LSU Men’s Tennis team, Justin Butsch helped return the Tigers to national prominence during his first year back in Baton Rouge. After taking over a team that finished No. 74 nationally and 1-13 in SEC play, LSU posted a 26-7 record in 2026, one of the most successful seasons in program history and the Tigers’ highest win total in nearly four decades. The Tigers climbed as high as No. 5 nationally, finished 10-4 in SEC play, earned the No. 3 seed in the SEC Tournament, and recorded 11 wins over nationally ranked opponents. LSU also qualified for the ITA National Indoor Team Championships for the first time since 2006 and earned a road victory over No. 2 Texas, one of the program’s biggest wins in more than two decades.
A key part of LSU’s success has been Butsch’s work in recruiting and player development. He helped bring internationally accomplished players such as Erik Arutiunian and Olaf Pieczkowski to Baton Rouge. In his debut season, Arutiunian earned All-SEC Second Team and SEC All-Freshman Team honors while reaching a career-high ranking of No. 22 nationally and recording 10 ranked singles victories. Pieczkowski was named SEC Freshman of the Year, giving LSU two of the conference’s top newcomers and helping elevate the program to a national top-5 ranking.
Butsch wore purple and gold throughout his collegiate career from 2013 to 2017. A four-year letterwinner and three-time team captain, he recorded 93 singles victories, ranking No. 10 on LSU’s all-time singles wins list, and added 76 doubles wins. As a senior, he finished ranked No. 27 nationally in doubles and No. 82 in singles while qualifying for the NCAA Doubles Championship alongside Jordan Daigle. He earned SEC All-Freshman Team honors, two All-SEC selections, and multiple LSWA All-Louisiana First Team recognitions.
Following his LSU career, Butsch competed professionally from 2018-21, reaching career-high ATP rankings of No. 678 in singles and No. 415 in doubles. He captured five ITF doubles titles and reached two ITF singles finals.
Before rejoining the Tigers, Butsch served as an assistant coach for the Texas Women’s Tennis program from 2022 to 2025. During his time in Austin, the Longhorns won the 2022 NCAA National Championship, captured the 2023 Big 12 regular-season championship, claimed back-to-back Big 12 Tournament titles in 2022 and 2023, made multiple NCAA Quarterfinal appearances, and posted a 91-26 overall record. Butsch also helped coach Peyton Stearns to the 2022 NCAA Singles Championship before she transitioned to the professional tour.
A native of Miami, Florida, Butsch earned his bachelor’s degree in sport administration from LSU before beginning his coaching career as a graduate assistant with the Tigers.