Pat Garrity returns to Notre Dame in dual GM role for men's & women's hoops

In Notre Dame’s early days of shifting from independence in men’s basketball to life as a conference member, Pat Garrity, as a player, was ahead of the curve.

Almost three decades after being named ND’s first-ever Big East Player of the Year, the 48-year-old returns to Notre Dame as a man who still fits that description and in a role that does as well.

On Tuesday, the former Irish All-American, NBA player and NBA executive was announced as the school’s first-ever men’s & women’s basketball general manager. Garrity will also serve as the primary sports administrator for the men’s program.

Per CBSSports.com’s Matt Norlander, Garrity is believed to be one of only two people to ever occupy this type of role — a dual GM, in addition to being the lead administrator for a revenue sport — in college athletics.

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It's both a bold and pragmatic move in an era in which the college sports model is evolving rapidly and darmatically.

A meet-the-media session with Garrity, men’s basketball coach Micah Shrewsberry and women’s basketball coach Niele Ivey is scheduled for Thursday at Notre Dame Stadium. The event will be streamed live at 11:30 a.m. EDT on YouTube.

“I’m thrilled to be returning to Notre Dame, “ Garrity, a 1998 ND grad, said via prepared statement land. “At every point in my career and life, Notre Dame has always been a second home for me and my family. The university has shaped who I am, and its values resonate deeply within me.

“To President [Robert A.] Dowd, [athletic director] Pete [Bevacqua], Micah and Niele, thank you for your trust and for providing me with this amazing new opportunity. I can’t wait to begin serving our exceptional student-athletes in both programs and contributing to the broader mission of our athletic department and the university.”

Garrity will fill in all the blanks, presumably, at Thursday’s press conference, but some key components of the new job that are known are “the development of annual strategic goals, team personnel management, budget analysis, revenue generation and fundraising, alumni relations and facility management.”

“We could not be more excited to welcome back Pat to Notre Dame,” Bevacqua said. “With the pace of change in college sports, we knew we had to find someone that could support Micah and Niele with all that’s required of high-level basketball programs off the court, while they focused on coaching and supporting our amazing student-athletes.

“Being able to bring in someone like Pat, who’s a Notre Dame alumnus, former student-athlete, 10-year NBA veteran, former NBA front office executive and Notre Dame parent, made him the perfect candidate from the start.”

As a player Garrity was a three-time All-Big East selection, the 1997 Big East Player of the Year, a 1998 Second Team All-American and a two-time first-team Academic All-American.

Garrity finished with 2,085 career points, which ranks fifth all-time. He was selected 19th overall in the first round of the 1998 NBA draft by the Milwaukee Bucks and traded immediately to the Phoenix Suns where he spent his rookie season.

In the summer of 1999 he was traded to the Orlando Magic, competing for nine seasons before retiring in 2008. During this time, he also served as secretary/treasurer for the National Basketball Players Association for seven seasons.

Garrity later obtained his master’s in business administration from Duke. In August of 2014 Garrity landed the role of director of strategic planning for the Detroit Pistons. In the summer of 2016, Garrity was promoted to assistant general manager and held that position for four seasons before leaving the post in 2020.

“I’m excited to partner with Pat to continue executing our vision for Notre Dame basketball,” Shrewsberry said. “His experience in roster-building and management in the NBA will be a handy guide for how we go about positioning our program for long-term success. Pat’s accolades as a student-athlete at Notre Dame will be a great model for our current and future players to emulate.”

“I am thrilled to welcome Pat as our new GM of men's and women’s basketball,” Ivey said. “With Pat’s expertise on the professional level and familiarity with Notre Dame, he will enhance and elevate our current and future student-athletes' experiences and opportunities.”

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