Irish Pick Brey
UHND.com - Frank Vitovitch
July 14, 2000

Notre Dame, Ind - A little later this evening at 6 PM ETthere will be a press conference to announce that Mike Brey, from Delaware University)will be the next head coach at Notre Dame, the third in three years.  Brey was one ofthree coaches officially contacted by Notre Dame along with PJ Carelisimo and Ernie Kent.

Kent was considered to be the #1 choice according to afew published reports, but turned down the job yesterday deciding to stay with Oregon, ateam he has rebuilt the last three years.  PJ Carelisimo, former Seton Hall andGolden State Warriors head coach), was the first to be contacted, but said he was notinterested in the job.  Unlike North Carolina earlier this week however, it did nottake Notre Dame long to contact another coach. 

Brey interviewed Thursday night and met with a group oftop level officials from Notre Dame and was offered the job.  Rumors circulated thatKent had been officially offered the job, but neither Kent or anyone from Notre Dame hasconfirmed this.  The release from the Athletic Department at Notre Dame said Brey gotoffered the job at 1 AM.

Brey comes to Notre Dame after spending the previous 5years at Delaware where he went to the NCAA Tournament twice and the NIT once.  Healso compiled three straight 20 win seasons including a 25-6 mark in 1998-89 the lastthree years.  Prior to coaching at Delaware Brey was an assistant under MikeKrzyzewski at Duke.  While at Duke, the Blue Devils won two titles, went to sixfinals fours, and played for the title 4 times. 

The hiring of Brey came to a surprise to me since justyesterday in a list of candidates I had him under the "cross them off your list"section.  Brey had been at Delaware for 5 years, recently signed a 5 year contractextension, and was considered a possible replacement for Mike Krzyzewski whenever heretires.  After the Doherty fiasco, hopefully Notre Dame made it more difficult forBrey to pack up and leave like Doherty did to North Carolina.

As everyone knows the position became available Tuesdaywhen Matt Doherty bolted to North Carolina along with all of Notre Dame's assistants.  Getting a replacement quickly was important for Notre Dame since there is apossibility that Notre Dame's two recruits for 2000-01 may reopen their recruiting whichwould leave Notre Dame with no commitments and a new coach right at the start of theofficial recruiting season.

We will have more on the hiring of Mike Brey and thewhole coaching situation this weekend so check back as more news on Notre Dame's twocommitments (Jordan Cornette and Chris Thomas) becomes available.