7/20/2022 basketball Edit

Niele Ivey chooses Charel Allen '08 as assistant women's basketball coach

Charel Allen spent the last five seasons on the Cal State Fullerton women's basketball staff. (Notre Dame Athletics)

Kyle Kelly • InsideNDSports

Recruiting Writer

Notre Dame football recruiting writer with past experience covering Ohio State football recruiting for cleveland.com. Current Northwestern University graduate student and John Carroll University grad.

The Notre Dame women’s basketball team announced the hiring of former Irish star Charel Allen to the coaching staff on Tuesday.

Allen is joining the staff as an assistant coach replacing former assistant coach Coquese Washington, whom Rutgers hired as its next head coach.

“Excited to welcome Charel back to the Notre Dame family,” head coach Niele Ivey said in a release. “Charel brings a high-level mentality that leads to great player development. She possesses experience at every level – collegiately, professionally and internationally. She’s a rising star in this industry. She’s extremely passionate and loyal and understands what it takes to excel as a student-athlete at Notre Dame.”

Allen played for the Irish from 2004-08, where she was a two-time All-American and two-time First Team All-Big East selection. During her last two years at Notre Dame, she was a team captain. She concluded her career as the first player in school history to register 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 200 assists and 200 steals.

Before turning her attention to coaching in 2017, Allen played professionally in the WBNA (2008) and Europe (2009-16). She was named Bulgarian League Player of the Year in 2014 and won five championships overseas.

Her first collegiate coaching position was as an assistant with Cal-State Fullerton in 2017, where she spent the last five seasons. In 2021, Allen was promoted to associate head coach. She held the role for one season before returning to South Bend.

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“I’m coming home!" Allen said in Notre Dame athletics’ statement. "I’m extremely excited and grateful for the opportunity to work alongside such a powerful leader in Niele and her staff. I can’t wait to get started.”

Allen graduated from Notre Dame in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in sociology and computer applications.

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