 After the 2007 NIT Championship win, Mountaineers head coach John Beilein announced he would be leaving West Virginia University to take the head coaching position at the University of Michigan.Soon after, former head coach of Kansas State's basketball team and former West Virginia alumnus, Bob Huggins announced he accepted an offer to coach at West Virginia.In the season-opening exhibition game against Mountain State, Butler earned his first career start as the Mountaineers won 88–65.