Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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16 JUNE/JULY 2020 the belly is becoming an ember. Some continue to crave it. For oth- ers like McGraw, after 40 years in the business, there comes a time to write a new chapter in one's life. IVEY: HEAD COACH IN WAITING The new boss turns 43 in Sep- tember and should be entering her coaching prime. While she's never run her own team, she had a signifi- cant hand, especially as the recruit- ing coordinator, at signing the afore- mentioned talent the past decade. It is often a daunting and thankless task to replace a legend, but if any- one is primed to handle it, it is Ivey, who was an immense piece in all the successes experienced by McGraw, first as a star point guard and then as a cherished assistant. There were three C's involved in the hiring of Ivey: Continuity, Com- parison and Charisma. Like McGraw, Notre Dame vice president and director of athlet- ics Jack Swarbrick sensed that Ivey would be soon "coming home," and he did not want to lose her to another college basketball program. "We had talked to Niele about the possibility of this happening, and so we were able to move pretty rapidly once [McGraw] made her decision," Swarbrick said. "Finding someone who understood [the program], the ability to build on what we have. That was the No. 1 factor." At the same time, Swarbrick and McGraw thought it was beneficial for Ivey to learn elsewhere as well, espe- cially the NBA, in her professional development. "Getting away for a year just having a comparison is valuable," Swarbrick said. When asked to describe Ivey in just one word, McGraw replied "charismatic." "She is just somebody people are attracted to," McGraw said. "She's got a smile that lights up the gym. She is so fun to be around, and yet she can flip the switch and be as se- rious and intense as anyone in the gym." ✦ Muffet McGraw By The Numbers Hired in May 1987 when the Notre Dame women's basketball program was in its 10th year and mostly a glorified club sport, Muffet McGraw's impact with a Fighting Irish spirit will be everlasting. The football stadium has five national title coaches immortalized with statues, so it's fitting that someday the two-time national champion McGraw likely will join Moose Krause as the next figure outside the Joyce Center. 3 Schools to reach seven NCAA title games in women's basketball: Notre Dame, Connecticut and Tennessee, with the Fighting Irish winning it all in 2001 and 2018. The nine Final Fours, achieved from 1997 through 2019, are the fifth most. 5 Coaches in NCAA history with more than 900 wins, nine Final Fours and multiple national titles: McGraw, Pat Summitt, Geno Auriemma, Tara VanDerveer and Duke men's coach Mike Krzyzewski. 7 Notre Dame representatives inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, with McGraw becoming the first and lone woman in September 2017. At the time she was only the 35th woman and 13th female coach. 33 Years as Notre Dame's head coach, which trails only baseball coach Jake Kline's 42 sea- sons (1934-75), cross country/track coach Joe Piane's 40 (1975-2014) and fencing coach Mike DeCicco's 34 (1962-95) in one sport at the school. 848 Career victories at Notre Dame, the most in any sport, among the 1,012 overall in the program's history. She coached 1,100 games at Notre Dame and was 848-252 (.771 winning percentage), including 67-24 (.736) in her 26 NCAA Tournament appearances. Adding her five seasons at Lehigh from 1982-87 (88-41), she was 936-293. — Lou Somogyi PHOTO COURTESY FIGHTING IRISH MEDIA