Watch: New Notre Dame coach Niele Ivey leads comeback win over UConn in 2001 Final Four
Niele Ivey was named Notre Dame women's basketball coach when hall-of-famer Muffet McGraw retired after 33 seasons. Ivey becomes just the fourth head coach in the program's 43-year history. And she is no stranger to South Bend.
Ivey was a point guard for the Irish from 1996-2001, and helped guide Notre Dame to its first national championship in the 2000-01 season. She also served on McGraw's staff from 2007-2019.
Here's what you need to know:
Niele Ivey's playing career
- When she graduated in 2001, Ivey appeared on 16 of the program's career top-10 lists.
- As of 2019, she ranks second in total steals (348), second in steals per game average (2.6), fourth in total assists (727), fourth in 3-point field-goal percentage (40.5) and seventh in 3-point field goals made (190).
- The former guard is one of 41 players to reach the 1,000-point milestone at Notre Dame, having finished with 1,430.
- During the 2000-01 national championship run, she set a school record for the most assists in a single season with 247.
- She averaged 16.5 points and 5.5 steals per game in the 2001 Final Four.
- Ivey was selected by the Indiana Fever in the second round of the 2001 WNBA draft. She played four seasons with Indiana before spending the 2005 season with the Detroit Shock and Phoenix Mercury.
Ivey's coaching career
- In 2005, she began her post-playing career as an administrative assistant for Xavier's women's basketball team.
- Ivey joined the Irish coaching staff in May 2007, and in 2012 she added the title of recruiting coordinator.
- She was then promoted to associate coach in the summer of 2015.
- Most recently, she served as an assistant coach for the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies during the 2019-20 season.
- Became Notre Dame's new head coach in April 2020.
Ivey's accolades
- Ivey received third-team Associated Press All-America honors in 2001, which made her the first Notre Dame point guard to earn that distinction.
- She won the 2001 Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award, which from 1984 to 2014 was given to the nation's most outstanding female senior player 5-foot-8 or under.
- A three-time All-Big East selection, Ivey earned first-team honors in 2001.
- She was a finalist for the 2001 Nancy Lieberman Award (given to the nation's top point guard), and was named to the 2001 NCAA Final Four All-Tournament Team.
- In 2016, Ivey was the first-ever recipient of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association Division I National Assistant Coach of the Year. She was also inducted into Notre Dame's Ring of Honor that same year.
