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Message: [QUOTE="Dillon77, post: 2166297, member: 6620"] Hey there. Given their relative closeness in age, it's not surprising that the succession talk for Geno and Muffett are parallel threads both here on the [I]Boneyard[/I] and over at[I] McGraw's Bench[/I]. This is a highly subjective topic and therefore what you read represent the views of one..and only one...long-time Irish fan and alum. ;) I'm not so certain MM has retirement top-of-mind right now for a variety of reasons: - she's got a great support team, from her assistant coaches (including Ms. Ivey) to her husband, Matt, whom I believe has retired and is pretty much her aide-de-camp on all recruiting visits; - MM still enjoys what she's doing and has the drive, in part... - ... because she wants to go after one more national championship. It won't define her, but she wants to pursue it. She competitive and that's the goal. With that in mind, we're probably looking a few years down the way re: retirement and succession. I've read rumors/theories and hopes ranging on a range of candidates, from current assistants Niele and Beth (Morgan) Cunningham to local icon Skylar Diggins who is the player along with Ruth Riley that most people associate with MM. Carol Owens, the longest-tenured of MM's assistants, will probably ride into the sunset with Muffet (as CD will do with Geno). Will the ND powers-that-be want an established head coach? I'm not sure of that, but do think ND President Fr. Jenkins, AD Jack Swarbrick and Muffet (if she has the input on this which I think she'll have) would like to focus on an ND grad/insider. These three ND grads come to mind: - [B]Niele Ivey[/B]. Probably an odds-on fan favorite at this time. Guard coach, recruiter par excellence, revered alum and very respected & liked within WCBB. Member of our one national championship team, to boot. Only downside is not having HC experience and doubt she'll go anywhere to get it while her son is in high schoo in South Bend (he's a frosh), since he's grown up in the shadow of the Dome. - [B]Beth Cunningham[/B]. She did a commendable job as HC at VCU for years before coming back to ND to join MM. She's not an assc. head coach like Niele and Carole Owens, but she was a head coach. Not in the public eye as much as Ivey, perhaps, but respected. Another seminal figure in ND bball history with a retired number. - [B]Megan Duffy[/B]. Just got her first head-coaching gig at Miami University, which is right in her "home area" of Serah Williams Ohio. Played pro and moved up the ranks at St. John's, George Washington and Michigan. Let's see how she does in four-five years. If well, her HC expeirence and the succession timing could coincide. BTW, Duffy and Ivey are both point guards, as was Muffet, and I think there's a natural affinity. The Observer, the student-run paper at Notre Dame, ran a lengthy article on MM following the her naming to the Basketball Hall of Fame. It's primarily centered around interviews with these alums: [B]Riley, Natalie Achonwa, Kayla McBride (Kmac) and Michaela Mabrey,[/B] who just took an assistant job with Duffy at Miami. Achonwa has said she wants to get into coaching after her playing career is over. I expect both her and Mabrey to excel in this profession. Here's the article. It's long but informative because it comes from players' persepctive. And the student writer is good (and funny, read her bio at the end.) [URL='http://ndsmcobserver.com/2017/04/muffet-mcgraw-former-players-reflect-hall-fame-legacy-30-season/']‘She's a Hall of Fame person. Period.’: Former players reflect on McGraw's Hall of Fame career, legacy after her 30th season at Notre Dame // The Observer[/URL] [/QUOTE]

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