Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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14 JUNE/JULY 2018 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED UNDER THE DOME On May 21, Notre Dame released an an- nouncement that four-year head coach Alan Turner's contract, which expires June 30, will not be renewed. Prior to being named head coach on July 18, 2014 — succeeding the beloved Joe Piane, who had been in his role since 1975 — Turner had been on the staff since 2010, including serving as associate head track and field coach from 2012-14. In the most recent ACC Outdoor Track & Field Championships, held May 12-14 in Atlanta, the Notre Dame men finished 12th among 14 teams (Boston College does not have men's track) with 23 points, well behind champion Virginia Tech's 120. Among all 15 women's teams, the Fight- ing Irish placed seventh with 53 points, while Virginia Tech won that as well with 124.5 points. "We appreciate all that Alan has contributed to Notre Dame track and field and cross country during his time both as head coach as well as his four earlier seasons as associate and assistant coach," Notre Dame vice president and director of athletics Jack Swarbrick said. "We thank him for all those efforts, and we wish him well in his future endeavors." His final coaching duties at Notre Dame will take place at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships June 6-9 in Eugene, Ore., where six Irish student-athletes qualified for a chance to earn All-America notice. For the women, they are Rachel DaDamio (5,000 meters), Jessica Harris (1,500 meters), and the com- bination of Annie Heffernan and Anna Rohrer (both in 10,000 meters). For the men, Matthew Birzer (high jump) and Nate Richartz (pole vault) qualified. Among the highlights during Turner's tenure were: • Eighth- and 11th-place finishes at the NCAA Championships by the 2015 and 2016 Irish wom- en's cross country squads. • A fifth-place finish at the 2016 NCAA Indoor Championships for the Notre Dame women's track and field squad following a 13th-place show- ing at the 2015 NCAA Outdoor Championships. • A third-place effort at the ACC Indoor Cham- pionships in 2015 and 2016 by the Irish women's track and field unit. • A fifth-place finish at both the 2015 and 2016 ACC Outdoor Championships by the Notre Dame women's track and field squads. • Second- and third-place showings by the Irish women's cross country teams at the 2016 and 2015 ACC Championships. The standout individual was Molly Seidel, a four-time All-American who was the 2015 indi- vidual NCAA cross country champion, the 2016 NCAA indoor champion in the 3,000 and 5,000 meters, and the 2015 NCAA outdoor champion in the 10,000 meters. Harris won the ACC indoor mile title in 2017 and 2018, while Rohrer was third and sixth at the 2016 and 2015 NCAA Cross Country Champion- ships, respectively. Richartz won the 2017 and 2018 ACC outdoor titles, and the 2016 ACC indoor championship. In 2016, Kaila Barber was the ACC outdoor champion in the 100 and 400 hurdles. A 1992 graduate of Indiana University, the North Chicago, Ill., product Turner was a three- time All-American for the Hoosiers. He won five Big Ten titles (two long jump, two 400 meters and one 4x400 relay) and was a three-time team captain while leading Indiana to five consecutive Big Ten Conference team crowns. Alan Turner has served as Notre Dame's cross country and track and field head coach the past four years, but his contract was not renewed for the next school year. PHOTO COURTESY FIGHTING IRISH DIGITAL MEDIA MIKE BREY WORKS WITH USA BASKETBALL Mike Brey was one of four new court coaches selected by USA Basketball for the Men's U18 National Team training camp held May 31-June 2 at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. Kansas' Bill Self is serving as the team's head coach, while Anthony Grant (Dayton) and Danny Manning (Wake Forest) will be assistants. It is Brey's first USA Basketball train- ing camp. There are multiple Notre Dame targets ex- pected to participate, including 2019 five-star forward Jeremiah Robinson-Earl of Roeland Park (Kan.) Bishop Miege, 2019 Rivals100 guard Joe Girard III of Glens Falls (N.Y.) High, and 2020 five-star center Hunter Dickinson of Hyattsville (Md.) DeMatha, Brey's old stomp- ing ground. Per NCAA rules, Brey was unable to make recruiting pitches during his time in Colorado. However, it will give the prospects an idea of what it is like to be coached by Brey, and an up-close look at his personality and style. Brey was tabbed to serve as one of four new court coaches for the Men's U18 National Team training camp May 31-June 2 in Colorado Springs, Colo. PHOTO BY COREY BODDEN JIMMY V CLASSIC ANNOUNCED The 2018 Jimmy V Men's Basketball Clas- sic doubleheader will take place Dec. 4 this year, with Notre Dame taking on Oklahoma, while Florida faces West Virginia in the second matchup. Both games will be played at Madison Square Garden. It will be the first men's basket- ball meeting between the Irish and Sooners. Notre Dame last played in the event on Dec. 4, 2007, taking down Kansas State 68- 59. The Irish are coming off a NIT appearance, while the Sooners were bounced in the round of 64 in the NCAA Tournament. The challenging December non-conference road slate also will include Purdue at the Cross- roads Classic in Indianapolis (Dec. 15) and then a meeting at UCLA (Dec. 18), which will make a return trip to Notre Dame the following year. NOTRE DAME TO HIRE NEW CROSS COUNTRY/TRACK & FIELD COACH