Nov. 13, 2017
Glenn and Stacey Murphy Head Men’s Basketball Coach Mike Brey is just 11 victories away from establishing the University of Notre Dame record for men’s basketball coaching wins. Starting with the contest with Mount St. Mary’s on November 13, 2017, fans attending Notre Dame home games will see a new feature in Purcell Pavilion commemorating #BreysChase.
Located on the Purcell Pavilion catwalk, a new banner indicating the number of victories Brey has led the Irish to in the past 18 seasons has been displayed. As each victory this season is earned, the banner will count up to the record-breaking 394th win.
In addition, as Coach Brey closes in on the all-time record for coaching wins at the University of Notre Dame, Fighting Irish Media will be highlighting 18 of the top moments from the Mike Brey era.
Fans can follow along all year via the hashtags #Breyteen and #BreysChase – celebrating Coach Brey’s 18th season at Notre Dame in 2017-18. For the second #Breyteen moment (which will be presented in random order this season) we look back at the incredible home court win streak the Irish compiled from 2005 through 2009.
Irish Post 45 Straight Home Court Wins
Brey helps the Irish match the BIG EAST Conference record for consecutive home court victories.
By Alan Wasielewski
Mike Brey took over the Notre Dame basketball program in the summer of 2000. One of his goals was to establish an identity for the program in the BIG EAST Conference. In his second season at Notre Dame, Brey’s team claimed the BIG EAST West Division Championship and hung a conference banner in the Joyce Center for the first time in program history.
That was step one.
Step two was to begin to protect the team’s home court. A team plays more than half of its games each season on its home court; protect `your house’ and you will have a great chance at earning an NCAA tournament berth.
Step two was achieved — far beyond anything the program had experienced before.
Over the course of four seasons, Notre Dame did not lose a game at Purcell Pavilion. During that streak they established the school record for consecutive home court wins (45) and tied the BIG EAST Conference mark for consecutive home venue victories (20).
The final two games of the 2005-06 season, the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons and eight games in the 2008-09 campaign defined the streak.
“To have that record, I’m proud of that and proud of our group,” Brey said when his team broke the record. “It’s a heck of a thing.”
Kyle McAlarney helped the Irish defeat Furman on Nov. 30, 2008. The victory established the Notre Dame record for home-court wins at 39, a mark that would build to 45 games.
Alan Wasielewski is an Associate Athletics Communication Director at the University of Notre Dame. He works primarily with the men’s basketball and rowing team. A 2000 graduate of the University, Wasielewski is entering his 16th year at Notre Dame, working in both the multimedia productions and athletics communications offices in his time on campus.