Muffet McGraw Steps Down; Niele Ivey Named New Notre Dame Head Coach
A release from Notre Dame’s athletic department on Wednesday afternoon announced that after 33 seasons and a Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame career with the Fighting Irish, head coach Muffet McGraw is stepping down from her post.
Succeeding her will be former 1997-2001 Notre Dame point guard and longtime McGraw assistant Niele Ivey, who was with the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies this past year.
McGraw will officially announce her retirement from coaching this afternoon (Wednesday, April 22) at 4:30 p.m. ET as part of a virtual press conference.
“It has been my great honor to represent the University of Notre Dame these past 33 years, but the time has come for me to step down as your head basketball coach,” McGraw stated. “I want to thank Monk Malloy and Father [John] Jenkins for giving me the opportunity to coach the game I love at a university I love. I have learned much about leadership from the many athletics directors with whom I have served, and in particular I want to thank [athletics director] Jack Swarbrick for his unwavering support.
“I am grateful to have worked with the best assistant coaches in the business, and I have been blessed to coach so many phenomenal women. To the best fans in the country, it was my honor and privilege to play for you.”
McGraw's 936 career wins rank sixth all time among Division I coaches, men or women, with 842 coming at Notre Dame. She led the Irish to national titles in 2001 and 2018, and had seven other Final Four appearances from 1997 through 2017.
The release indicated that she will remain active with the university and local communities.
“It is inevitable and appropriate that as we mark Muffet’s retirement from coaching today, much of the focus will be on the remarkable record of competitive success that makes her a Hall of Fame coach,” Swarbrick stated. “But my reflections go more to her as an educator, friend and role model. Every time I had the privilege of stepping into her classroom, be it at practice or courtside during a game, I was struck by how much she cared about her students and how important it was for her to use basketball as a vehicle to help develop future leaders.
“Winning over 900 games and two national championships make Muffet a legendary coach; nurturing ‘strong confident women who are not afraid to use their voice and take a stand’ makes Muffet a teacher who made a difference in the lives of every student-athlete she taught. While we will not have the benefit of Muffet as our coach going forward, we will make certain that through her ongoing work with Notre Dame athletics we continue to enjoy all that she has to offer as an educator, friend, and role model.”
McGraw is one of just five NCAA Division I men’s or women’s basketball coaches with at least 930 wins, nine Final Fours and multiple titles. The others are Pat Summitt, Tara VanDerveer, Geno Auriemma and Duke men’s coach Mike Krzyzewski.
Ivey had been a part of all nine Final Four appearances and two national titles produced by Notre Dame from 1997 through 2019. Following the 2018-19 season she took a position with the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies in a coaching role, a rare role for a female
She will address Fighting Irish fans as the new Karen & Kevin Keyes Family Head Coach for the first time on Thursday, April 23, at 12 p.m. ET as part of a virtual press conference.
“I am so honored to be able to follow in the legacy that Coach McGraw built here at Notre Dame,” Ivey stated in a university release. “My love and appreciation for Coach McGraw is beyond anything I can express. She’s more than a mentor, more than a friend, she’s one of the most influential people in my life. I am full of gratitude for Coach McGraw and what she has done for me.
“She was the first to give me an opportunity to play for Notre Dame and coach here as well. I will forever be grateful for her love and support. I would also like to thank Jack Swarbrick and Father Jenkins for having the faith to move this program forward with me. I can never thank you enough for this incredible opportunity.”
“I am thrilled Niele will be the next leader of the Notre Dame basketball program,” McGraw said. “She’s one of the best young coaches in the game today and her success with the Grizzlies has helped make her even more prepared for her new role.
“What sets Niele apart is her ability to connect with all generations — alums, her current team and future student-athletes. She will be a fantastic role model and a leader in the women’s empowerment movement, and she will represent Notre Dame in a way that will make our fans proud.”
Ivey was the inaugural recipient of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Division I National Assistant Coach of the Year Award in 2016.
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