NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Karen and Kevin Keyes Notre Dame women’s basketball head coach Muffet McGraw embodies women empowerment and breaking down gender barriers. Now former Associate Head Coach Niele Ivey will do just that, becoming the ninth active female assistant coach in the NBA. On Monday afternoon, Memphis Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins’ named Ivey to his coaching staff.
“There is no other place that has impacted me more as a player, coach and person than Notre Dame,” Coach Ivey stated. “I’ve gained friendships and relationships that will last a lifetime. But the biggest impact that I’ve had is from the relationship I have with Coach McGraw. I’m so grateful for Coach McGraw. She has been so much more than just a coach, mentor and boss. She believed in me and gave me my first opportunity at Notre Dame and I am forever grateful. I stand tall, confident and ready because of the tools she has instilled in me.”
Ivey spent the 12 last seasons on the Notre Dame coaching staff (adding recruiting coordinator to her title in 2012 and associate head coach in 2015). In addition, Ivey is the common link between all nine of the school’s Final Four appearances (seven as a coach, two as a player).
While on the coaching staff, the Fighting Irish have posted an impressive 386-55 (.875) record, which included 14 conference championships, six NCAA title game appearances and of course the title win in 2018.
Furthermore, Coach Ivey has developed some of Notre Dame’s all-time greats such as All-Americans Skylar Diggins-Smith, Jewell Loyd, Lindsay Allen and Arike Ogunbowale. In fact, she has helped Notre Dame attract top-12 recruiting classes in nine of the past 10 years.
In addition, Coach Ivey proved her prowess when it came to scouting and is a major reason the Irish have knocked off the UConn Huskies nine times over the past 11 years, more so than all other Division I teams combined.
“It really speaks to Niele’s expertise that, out of all the coaches in the country, she was chosen for this position,” Coach McGraw said. “The NBA is setting an excellent precedent of hiring and promoting women. This is going to be a great learning experience for Niele and hopefully one day she can take all that she’s learned and bring it back to our program.
— ND —