Irish Coach Mike Brey Reacts To $20,000 Fine, Public Reprimand
With the way this season — and frankly, the last two seasons — have gone for Mike Brey, the Irish head coach can be excused for letting his emotions boil over Saturday night after a heartbreaking 85-84 loss at No. 5 Florida State.
Notre Dame (11-8; 2-6 ACC) has lost four ACC games this season by three points or fewer — two of those by one point.
In fact, take away the 11-point loss to North Carolina in the conference opener, and the other five league losses for the Irish have come by 12 points total.
But it wasn’t so much another close loss that set Brey off in Tallahassee. It was what he perceived as a string of sketchy and impactful officiating calls late in the game.
First there were two questionable traveling calls on the Irish in the last three minutes.
Then, there was a no-foul call on a late steal and layup by Juwan Durham that brought Notre Dame to within one point and could’ve sent the Irish forward to the foul line with a chance to tie the game.
And finally, an unexpected technical foul was levied on the Irish bench, called from across the court by ACC official John Gaffney with 2:31 left in the game — a call that cost Brey another point, his cool, and ultimately more than that.
“We’re treated by the officials like we haven’t brought football as a full member, yet we get a full share of the ACC Network TV, are you kidding me?” Brey said, referencing the grudge some theorize that ACC members hold against Notre Dame for keeping its football independence while playing its other sports in the league.
Shortly after those comments, Brey stormed out of the room, waving his arms in disgust while mentioning Gaffney by name on his way out the conference room door.
“Come on man, we’re in the league too!” Brey continued, “We’re in the league too, come on!”
That outburst earned Brey a public reprimand Monday morning, and a $20,000 for Notre Dame for violating the ACC Sportsmanship Policy.
“Individuals associated with the athletics program are prohibited from commenting while acting in an official capacity on officiating other than directly to the Conference office,” the policy reads in part.
Brey briefly addressed the situation Monday during the weekly ACC coaches teleconference, accepting accountability but stopping short of an apology.
“I certainly accept my reprimand for my comments,” he said. “I will take my medicine like a man and accept responsibility on that. I’ll try to be a good guy the rest of the season, but I can’t guarantee anything.”
When pressed on what relevance having only a part-time football relationship has on his full-time basketball program, Brey wanted to move on.
“I’m not going to talk anymore about football and all of that,” he said. “I made my comments the other night.”
Brey explained that he addressed the post-game tirade with his players when they arrived back from Tallahassee.
Fiery on the sideline during the game but typically composed afterward, win or lose, Brey rarely criticizes officials or loses his cool.
In fact, his book is titled: “Mike Brey, Keeping It Loose.”
“I think overall I have been pretty good at that through my 20 years of not letting them get the best of me,” Brey said of his emotions. “They did the other night and I paid for it. I’ll have to run another session of basketball camp to pay the fine.”
With three consecutive home games up next against teams Notre Dame will be favored to beat — Wake Forest, Georgia Tech and Pittsburgh — Brey said it’s now important to look forward, not back.
“We got a chance to make a little move here with three at home,” he said. “I love how we’re fighting. I love how we’re scratching. I love how we’re putting ourselves in position. I don’t think that will ever change.
“But no question, it starts with me and my demeanor so it doesn’t carry over onto the court and I’ll have to just be more disciplined with it.”
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