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Mike Brey Recipient of Coaches vs. Cancer Champion Award

April 11, 2003

Notre Dame, Ind. – University of Notre Dame men’s basketball coach Mike Brey was the recent recipient of the 2003 Coaches vs. Cancer Champion Award which is given annually by the Coaches vs. Cancer (CVC) National Council and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC). Brey was presented with the award at the annual NABC banquet in New Orleans, La., on April 6.

One of six finalists for the honor this year, Brey was chosen by members of the CVC National Council. Each year four criteria go into determining the winner: fundraising history; level of participation within the organization; number of years involved in the program; and the leadership displayed by the individual within CVC educational and promotional activitites.

The award was first presented in 1995 and past recipients have included: former Missouri head coach Norm Stewart; Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim; former Louisville head coach Denny Crumb; Kansas head coach Roy Williams; and Fran Dunphy, head coach at Pennsylvania.

Brey and his wife Tish have been longtime participants and supporters of the CVC program. Prior to coming to Notre Dame, the couple helped make the University of Delaware one of the top fundraising schools in the country through the CVC organization. At both institutions, the Breys have raised more than $230,000.

With the support of the Notre Dame and South Bend communities, Mike and Tish hosted the first annual Notre Dame Basketball Coaches vs. Cancer Golf Classic in August of 2002 and the “Night of the Stars” at their home in Granger, Ind., that same month More than $90,000 was raised from both events for cancer research in the local community and the Coaches vs. Cancer program. The “Night of the Stars” evening honored cancer survivors in the South Bend area as well as paid tribute to members of the community at-large who have given countless hours of their time and effort in the fight against the disease.

Notre Dame ranked sixth in terms of monies raised ($48,922.00) during the 2001-02 school year.

Brey was named to the CVC National Council in February of 2003. Among the head coaches on the Council are Boeheim (chair), Dunphy, Rob Evans (Arizona State), Mike Jarvis (St. John’s), Jeff Gamber (York College), Mike Krzyzewski (Duke), Kelvin Sampson (Oklahoma) and Williams.