Delaware coach Brey takes over as Doherty heads for North Carolina
By KATHLEEN OÕBRIEN
Associate Sports Editor
This spring, the futures of several prominent figures in Notre Dame athletics were up in the air.
Irish fans hoped All-American basketball star Troy Murphy would hang around for his junior year rather than bolt for the NBA. They wondered if head football coach Bob Davie would have another year to prove he could lead Notre Dame to success. They questioned who would replace Michael Wadsworth as athletic director.
But no one doubted that first-year head basketball coach Matt Doherty would be around for the 2000-01 season. Big mistake.
MurphyÕs still wearing blue and gold. DavieÕs back as head football coach. And Kevin White took over as athletic director.
Doherty, however, stunned the Notre Dame community in July by leaving the Irish in the lurch after serving just one year of a five-year contract. After guiding Notre Dame to its best season in a decade, a 22-15 record and a runner-up spot in the National Invitation Tournament, Doherty left to accept the head coaching position at North Carolina, his alma mater.
ÒI never thought that this would come about so soon in my career,Ó Doherty said. ÒI was never set in my mind that I was going to leave. I was the most confused IÕd ever been in my life because I didnÕt know what I wanted to do. It was the hardest decision IÕve ever had to make.Ó
Because Doherty took off in the middle of the summer recruiting period, White faced pressure to hire a new head coach immediately.
ÒOne, I felt our team was absolutely broken-spirited,Ó White said. ÒCoach Doherty had captured the imagination and enthusiasm and spirit of those guys. Two, there were pretty significant recruiting implications. Three, it was July, and I felt it was important to move quickly for the school we were going to disrupt.Ó
White came through on his first major decision for Notre Dame athletics, selecting Delaware head coach Mike Brey as a replacement within three days.
White began the coaching search before Doherty even left. Once Kansas head coach and former North Carolina assistant Roy Williams turned down the Tar Heels position, White had an inkling Notre Dame might be in need of a new coach.
So on July 5, White began a pre-search mode, calling 40 to 50 basketball experts to scout out potential replacements. From there, he formed a list of 10 possible coaches. When Doherty resigned, White had already narrowed the list to three. He quickly zeroed in on Brey as the top choice.
ÒI canÕt begin to tell you how excited I am about Coach Brey and the coaching staff,Ó White said. ÒI think weÕve really helped ourselves.Ó
Brey, who interviewed for the Irish head coaching position in 1999, brought a combination of experience, youth and stability to the table. Although just 41 years old, his coaching pedigree is impressive.
He began his coaching career at high school basketball powerhouse DeMatha High School in Washington, D.C. beneath the legendary Morgan Wooten.
After five years, Brey moved on to be an assistant coach at Duke University under Mike Kryzewski. During his eight seasons at Duke, Brey helped lead the Blue Devils to six Final Four appearances and two NCAA titles.
In 1995, Brey took over as head coach at Delaware, a member of the American East Conference. His last three years at Delaware formed the most successful stretch in Delaware basketball history. The Blue Hens won 20 or more games each season, earning two bids in the NCAA Tournament and one in the NIT.
Brey hopes to lead Notre Dame to the same type of success Duke has had, starting with its first NCAA Tournament bid in 11 years.
ÒThe realistic thing for us to talk about is being in the NCAA Tournament,Ó Brey said.
Doherty left some big shoes to fill, perhaps more for his recruiting pitch than his work on the court.
The charismatic young coach brought Irish fans back to the Joyce Center in swarms. He sold Notre Dame to recruits, luring Torrian Jones, Tom Timmermans and Chris Markwood for this season, and two top-100 recruits for the 2001-02 season in Chris Thomas and Jordan Cornette. He pulled in All-Big 12 player Ryan Humphrey as a transfer from Oklahoma. And his close relationship with Murphy helped sway the power forward to remain a member of the Fighting Irish.
Although Doherty formed deep ties at Notre Dame, the North Carolina position held special pull for him. His wifeÕs family lives in North Carolina, and he himself played for the Tar Heels.
ÒI wouldnÕt have left Notre Dame but for one place, and thatÕs the place IÕm at now,Ó Doherty said.
But leave he did, leaving Notre Dame high and dry at a time when most college basketball changes were over and done.
Doherty leaving came as a shock to most of the Irish basketball squad.
ÒAt first you expected him to stick around,Ó Murphy said. ÒYou almost didnÕt believe it when you heard he was leaving. It sunk in when you saw him at the Carolina press conference. With MacLeod, you heard the rumblings. You were more prepared for it to happen. There was going to be a day when I couldnÕt play for him. That day came sooner than I expected.Ó
So when Brey climbed on board, he had several priorities, including ensuring the team that he would stick around..
ÒIÕm hoping this is the last stop,Ó Brey said. ÒIf it isnÕt, itÕs from their point of view, not mine. This is where you ride it out.
ÒMy first priority after getting the job was the current team,Ó Brey continued. ÒI think theyÕve been really good considering for some of them itÕs the third coach in three years. A guy has to earn their trust.Ó
He managed to do so, keeping all current team members in the fold, and retaining the verbal commitments of Thomas and Cornette.
ÒI was kind of hurt at first,Ó Humphrey said of his reaction to DohertyÕs resignation. ÒBut now itÕs Coach BreyÕs team. I think heÕll leave a stamp on Notre Dame where people forget about Coach Doherty. I think we have the right coach for the job.Ó
Sophomore Matt Carroll agreed with HumphreyÕs assessment.
ÒI was pretty much just shocked,Ó Carroll said. ÒThat was the last thing I expected to happen when I came back for summer school. But I think it actually made us stronger.Ó
ÒCoach Doherty did a great job, but he came in on the right situation,Ó junior David Graves said. ÒHe had great players to lead, which is a credit to Coach MacLeod.Ó
Besides getting to know the players, Brey had to hire a new coaching staff.
Sean Kearney, BreyÕs top assistant at Delaware, followed Brey to Notre Dame, and will serve as associate coach.
The other two assistant coaches are Anthony Solomon and Lewis Preston. Solomon served as assistant athletic director at Clemson the past two years, while Preston hails from Coastal Carolina University, where he was an assistant coach. Rod Balanis will be the new director of basketball operations, coming to Notre Dame from Colgate.
All Sports Stories for Wednesday, August 23, 2000
