Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey will retire at the end of this season, he and the university announced Thursday. Brey, 63, has been the coach of the Fighting Irish for 23 seasons and is the winningest coach in program history.
“It has been a great run for me and our program over the past two decades, but it is time for a new voice to lead this group into the future,” Brey said in a statement. “I want to thank our student-athletes, assistant coaches and support staff who have played such a key role in the culture we have created.”
Hired in July 2000 as Notre Dame’s third coach in three seasons, Brey has posted a 481-269 record in 750 games at the school — 160 more than Digger Phelps, who is next on the list. He has guided the Fighting Irish to the NCAA Tournament on 13 occasions, one fewer than Phelps.
Notre Dame (9-10, 1-7 Atlantic Coast Conference) has lost two in a row and eight of its last 10 games. The Fighting Irish return to action on Saturday against visiting Boston College. The Irish are longshots at best to reach the NCAA Tournament, which would mark the fifth time in six years that they were left out of March Madness.
“Mike and I have talked often in recent years about a future transition in the program’s leadership and during our most recent conversation we reached the mutual conclusion that the end of this season represented the right time,” Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick said in a statement.
Brey indicated he would remain in some role at the university, saying, “I look forward to working with Jack in any role that can help the Notre Dame family.”
“That Mike is the winningest coach in the 119-year history of Notre Dame men’s basketball speaks to his skill as a teacher of the game. His even greater legacy, however, lies in his achievements as an educator and mentor of the young men who played for him. In that sense, he represents this University as well as any coach I have worked with during my time at Notre Dame. And for that reason, I look forward to working with Mike to define his future role within Notre Dame Athletics.”
Notre Dame president Rev. John I. Jenkins said, “Despite the many pressures of his sport, he remained at heart a teacher of young men, helping them play at the highest level while growing into adults and preparing for success beyond basketball.”
Brey twice coached Notre Dame to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament (2015, 2016).
Prior to joining Notre Dame, Brey spent five seasons at Delaware, guiding the Blue Hens to a 99-52 record and a pair of NCAA Tournament berths.
–Field Level Media
