Muffet McGraw stepping down (merged threads) | Page 10 | The Boneyard

Muffet McGraw stepping down (merged threads)

This news gets a "WOW" from me, dawg.


With no hoops next season anyway what was she going to do?
 
Plebe said:
Wow, so Skylar just threw some serious shade at her former head coach, basically saying no one wanted to transfer to play for Muffet. :cool:
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This also ( perhaps inadvertently) throws major shade on the 5 ND incoming freshman and the returning players.
 
This thread has taken some interesting twists and turns from the various comments made. Instead of "replying to each of those "curious comments" I will try to point out some of the counterpoints to them in one post.

#1. Niele Ivey is NOTHING like Holly Warlick other than being an ND assistant for a long time. It was Pat's decision to have Holly succeed her and there were objections to that but everyone deferred to Pat. It is clear by how Niele comports herself in the few interviews I have seen of her, she is more fluent and media savvy than Holly ever was or ever will be. Plus, ND always had an offense whereas Tenn NEVER had an offense so that alone will give a leg up to Niele. Whether she can actually coach a game or has to learn on the spot and understand what a "time-out" is, has yet to be seen. TO's are something Holly always struggled with using and at times so did MM.
2. Men's basketball (and Football) are more mature sports (from the 30'/40's) in the NCAA and have more parity so when a "great coach" leaves, other schools can instantly fill that void. And if that school is notorious for cheating (Kentucky/UCLA) than the fall from elite can happen quickly. Note I didn't say NC as I don't think the cheating occurred until Roy arrived and he turned a "blind eye" to it. We are at an interesting phase in WCBB as parity is now apparent and the first set of trail blazers are retired, retiring or about to retire (Barmore, Conradt, Summitt, McGraw, Blair, Vanderveer, Auriemma) so the next wave of successors is still trying to validate itself. Lady Techsters have failed mostly due to not being a P5 where as Tenn failed or is failing due to 2 main components, Pat's choice in hand picked assistant to lead and the fact her program always lacked an offensive flow and will doom Kelli Harper, in my estimation. Texas is struggling but is throwing money at the problem. ND is choosing one of it's own to keep the ship righted. Time will tell.
3. Not sure why Azzi Fudd would NOW reconsider ND given her aspiration to be an elite pro-player as this current version of the coach (Ivey) and the current construct of the team is unproven or worse, not good. How will that help her evolve? That's not to say Ivey won't eventually make an impact, I just don't think it will be within the next year or two due to a lack of elite players on the roster. Now if she gets some elite transfers, than maybe. Mik Vaughn, Anaya Peoples, Abby Prohaska and Sam Brunelle are all nice complimentary parts to team with 2 bona fide stars, which ND is clearly lacking. If the goal is to beat UConn, than this current rendition is really lacking. It will take 2, 3 or 4 years so would Fudd want to wait until she's a senior? Not buying it. I am not saying UConn if a foregone conclusion (it is though ;) ) just that ND is not the smart choice to beat UConn during her first 2 or 3 years. Stanford, SC, Baylor are all more logical destinations.

I like the choice ND made, it's logical, it's safe, it maintains the fan base, alumni, maintains or improves recruiting and satisfies the old coach. It may even stop the hemorrhage of transfers out that has plagued ND. It's just an "unknown" from a results perspective as Ivey has never run her own program.

Continue as you were...
 
MSSportsGuy said:
I didn't really think of ND as a women's basketball threat at any point, even after making the FF in 1997. In 2001 I remember being surprised they dismantled an excellent UConn team in January. The team that won the 2001 NC was an excellent one but I have said I will always believe UConn wins if Svet and Shea were healthy.

Then I almost forgot ND existed for a decade in the sport. The decade was one of DT, some great ACC teams, Parker, and the arrival of Maya. I was in the in the process of moving when Diggins and ND defeated UConn in 2011 and was in total shock but missed the games. Count me as one of those who liked Diggins as a player for her fire, competitiveness, and the next couple of seasons were fun to watch as the two squads went back and forth and what I found the most fun is ND wasn't scared of UConn, but even after ND won in back to back final fours did I think they had surpassed the Huskies in terms of being "the" program. I almost cried when Arike's shot went in at the buzzer to win the NC but I knew our team had their chances and failed to capitalize with a lead while ND kept pounding. I didn't hate them for winning but it will always be as disappointed as I've ever been at the end of a game.

We all knew ND wasn't going to be a FF team in 2019-20 even if they had stayed healthy and not had some strange transfers that are common now. It was clear during the year Muffet wasn't enjoying herself. The head coach is ultimately responsible for the team but when I watch I saw nothing that resembled the team the last decade. None of us know as of this minute exactly why Muffet retired. We may learn later today, we may never know. I get there is no love lost for ND on this board and can understand it. However, anyone who coached with as much success as long as Muffet did deserves respect as a competitor and contributor to the game. One thing is for sure: if we have a season as we all hope next year there is at least one rivalry that will have a totally different feel to it.
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And maybe Uconn loses 1 if Jayne Appel doesn't get hurt...and maybe Buffalo wins a super bowl if the field goal is not wide right..
 
CL82 said:
Anyone else feel like Muffet's departure requires a "Paul Harvey" moment? "And, now... the ... rest ... of ...the ... story. I am curious why Muffet chose to leave/was asked to leave to suddenly. She absolutely did not look happy last season, so she could have just decided to retire, of course she was so despondent and demonstrative, maybe there is more to it than that.

Just curious.
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Hey there:
Here's an article by long-time Irish sports writer (Blue and Gold) Lou Somgyi that addresses a few of your questions and takes on some other issues as well. Hope it helps. He's very up-front about the recruiting issues that have hit ND the last few years....


notredame.rivals.com

3-2-1 Notre Dame Observations, Questions & Prediction: Muffet And Niele

A Notre Dame legend has stepped down, but another favorite daughter takes her place.
notredame.rivals.com notredame.rivals.com
 
oldude said:
There is no doubt that Niele Ivey is both the obvious choice as well as the correct choice to replace MM. But a reminder to all, HW was both the obvious and correct choice to replace Pat. Both Ivie & HW served as the right-hand to their legendary mentors and both were outstanding recruiters.

There is a significant difference between being a HC and an assistant. Some like Geno, can seemingly make that transition seamlessly. Others like HW never quite get there.

It is my sincere hope that Ivie is successful, because I love the edge of your seat battles between the Huskies and the Irish every year. Honestly, UConn’s blowout win this past year was something of a letdown.

I hope the life and death battles with ND continue for many years to come. I also hope the the Huskies come out on top in every single game.
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Life and death battles on a basketball court seems like a wrong choice of words in these times
 
.-.
The only thing we learned is that nothing lasts forever. Even the UConn dynasty will come to an end at some point.
 
Dillon77 said:
All depends on how you look at it. :)
As mentioned, Sky is close to MM and exceedingly close to Ivey and (probably...huh!) has some strong ideas on what kind of player would like/love to play for her (as opposed to MM).
ND has a history of having very straightforward talking coaches and players who sometimes don't bother with context that well! ;)
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Dillon great takes. My feeling is ND is better off with Muffet retiring and Niele back. I for one felt she was missed last year more than people knew and without her ND was not going to recover from the 13-18 season quickly, despite Muffet's greatness. Whether it's xfrs or recruits, Niele will be a better selling point to close the deal for certain players. The ones destined for ND will still come and Muffet will still be in South Bend, much like John Wooden stayed at UCLA. Sky's take was looking to ND's future not a diss to Muffet.
 
Whoa! The world really is shaking up, its going to be strange to not have her to root against. As a retiree myself, though I wish her all the best, safety and healthy retirement!
 
mbr33ct said:
Have not been on the Boneyard for couple days...wow, this is an unexpected turn of events. Never would have guesses this happening in a million years. Not the way a coach wants to go out after the seasons she just had.
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In her extended interview yesterday she said she was going to remember the 2018 season as her last. She also said that she'd been fielding a number of calls from people in the sport, but not from Geno.
 
MSSportsGuy said:
I almost cried when Arike's shot went in at the buzzer to win the NC but I knew our team had their chances and failed to capitalize with a lead while ND kept pounding. I didn't hate them for winning but it will always be as disappointed as I've ever been at the end of a game.

We all knew ND wasn't going to be a FF team in 2019-20 even if they had stayed healthy and not had some strange transfers that are common now. It was clear during the year Muffet wasn't enjoying herself. The head coach is ultimately responsible for the team but when I watch I saw nothing that resembled the team the last decade. None of us know as of this minute exactly why Muffet retired. We may learn later today, we may never know. I get there is no love lost for ND on this board and can understand it. However, anyone who coached with as much success as long as Muffet did deserves respect as a competitor and contributor to the game. One thing is for sure: if we have a season as we all hope next year there is at least one rivalry that will have a totally different feel to it.
Expand ...
I've never hated them for winning. I've always found it was enough to hate them just because they're Notre Dame (this dates back to way before I ever heard of women's basketball) :cool: :cool:
 
.-.
Dillon77 said:
Hey there:
Here's an article by long-time Irish sports writer (Blue and Gold) Lou Somgyi that addresses a few of your questions and takes on some other issues as well. Hope it helps. He's very up-front about the recruiting issues that have hit ND the last few years....


notredame.rivals.com

3-2-1 Notre Dame Observations, Questions & Prediction: Muffet And Niele

A Notre Dame legend has stepped down, but another favorite daughter takes her place.
notredame.rivals.com notredame.rivals.com
Expand ...
The one item I really don't get though is why ANYONE would think she should or could be ND's Athletic Director? Her personality is not conducive to bringing disparate groups/coaches/programs together. As I have said many times, MM always coached with a "chip on her shoulder", an "us vs. them" mentality to want to prove herself or her team to the world. That doesn't work with larger groups and disparate teams. Heck, I admire her activism but I am not convinced she will elevate that role due to this personality issue. I get women need role models but MM's direct, in your face approach does not work well at the broadest levels and will alienate many who would want to help. Like I also said, I do see ESPN reaching out to bring her outspokenness to the airways as she would shake up the studio over "southern drawl" Andy, who brings very little to the table when discussing WCBB.
 
DefenseBB said:
Note I didn't say NC as I don't think the cheating occurred until Roy arrived and he turned a "blind eye" to it. We are at an interesting phase in WCBB as parity is now apparent and the first set of trail blazers are retired, retiring or about to retire (Barmore, Conradt, Summitt, McGraw, Blair, Vanderveer, Auriemma) so the next wave of successors is still trying to validate itself. Lady Techsters have failed mostly due to not being a P5 where as Tenn failed or is failing due to 2 main components, Pat's choice in hand picked assistant to lead and the fact her program always lacked an offensive flow and will doom Kelli Harper, in my estimation. Texas is struggling but is throwing money at the problem. ND is choosing one of it's own to keep the ship righted. Time will tell.
3. Not sure why Azzi Fudd would NOW reconsider ND given her aspiration to be an elite pro-player as this current version of the coach (Ivey) and the current construct of the team is unproven or worse, not good. How will that help her evolve? That's not to say Ivey won't eventually make an impact, I just don't think it will be within the next year or two due to a lack of elite players on the roster. Now if she gets some elite transfers, than maybe. Mik Vaughn, Anaya Peoples, Abby Prohaska and Sam Brunelle are all nice complimentary parts to team with 2 bona fide stars, which ND is clearly lacking. If the goal is to beat UConn, than this current rendition is really lacking. It will take 2, 3 or 4 years so would Fudd want to wait until she's a senior? Not buying it. I am not saying UConn if a foregone conclusion (it is though ;) ) just that ND is not the smart choice to beat UConn during her first 2 or 3 years. Stanford, SC, Baylor are all more logical destinations.

I like the choice ND made, it's logical, it's safe, it maintains the fan base, alumni, maintains or improves recruiting and satisfies the old coach. It may even stop the hemorrhage of transfers out that has plagued ND. It's just an "unknown" from a results perspective as Ivey has never run her own program.

Continue as you were...
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Read this and see if you still think NC wasn't cheating until Roy arrived...

1587656941008.png
 
RockyMTblue2 said:
In her extended interview yesterday she said she was going to remember the 2018 season as her last.
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So I guess that the efforts of all of this past years ND players will have to be expunged? Leave it to MM to throw Shade on a group of individuals without thinking.

I am reminded just how much reverence Geno has for his first team at UConn, a team that worked their butts off and remains the only team in his 35 years as a HC with a losing record.
 
oldude said:
So I guess that the efforts of all of this past years ND players will have to be expunged? Leave it to MM to throw Shade on a group of individuals without thinking.

I am reminded just how much reverence Geno has for his first team at UConn, a team that worked their butts off and remains the only team in his 35 years as a HC with a losing record.
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Silly Oldude, thinking MM actually uses rationale thought when stating her opinions and views. Do I think she meant to slight her last team, no, I do not, but did she slight them after every game in the pressers? Absolutely. That is, has been and always will be her style to motivate and is why I don't think she is the right person to lead any Athletic Department, Women's Coaching forum or any Activism campaign. She can be too toxic. Head bang
 
.-.
Dillon77 said:
I didn't know Storrs was Latin in derivation? ;) On the other hand, I wouldn't blame Geno for using the "Veni, Vidi, Vici" line at speaking engagements....
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Well one of the two brothers who donated the land to start school was Augustus Storrs.
 
Dillon77 said:
Hah! :rolleyes: Context please (given the circumstances of the last 18 hours, I've probably written more posts than in the last three months combine). What was this dangling statement attached to?
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Just having a little fun with you Dillon. Unfortunately if anyone from the Summitt is reading this page it will likely result in 29 page complaint to the NCAA, replete with french fries violations and phantom rides.
 
.-.
HuskeyinSC said:
It seems that before the announcement MM and Neile should call each player together to share the news and reassure them. My next call would have gone to Azzi. A generational player deserves some love.
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Coaches can’t call recruits whenever they like. The NCAA has rules about when contact can be made.

Muffet will be a “representative of ND’s basketball interest” (booster) even after she retires, the way a UConn grad like Diana or Maya are still UConn boosters.
 
dogged1 said:
Wonder if they fixed the ceiling on that one?
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The roofer, Marcus Aurelius Pantoni, sourced his marble from that one quarry in what is now Tuscany, and they had a difficult time replacing the panels that were broken during one of the bread riots in the early twenties (BC)
:p
 
I don't have the time to read all of the posts to see if this issue was mentioned, but maybe the reason for Muffet stepping away is quite simple. She dodged a bullet on 9-11. Except for a twist of fate, followed by an airplane reservation cancellation, she would have perished as the flights out of Boston hit the towers. This is well documented. Those unfamiliar with this story can look it up. So, perhaps the pandemic has caused her to stop, take a breath, and smell the roses. At some point we all begin to realize how fleeting life is and that while we still have some time to make the most of it and reconnect with what is truly important , we should.
 
Lynx23 said:
I don't have the time to read all of the posts to see if this issue was mentioned, but maybe the reason for Muffet stepping away is quite simple. She dodged a bullet on 9-11. Except for a twist of fate, followed by an airplane reservation cancellation, she would have perished as the flights out of Boston hit the towers. This is well documented. Those unfamiliar with this story can look it up. So, perhaps the pandemic has caused her to stop, take a breath, and smell the roses. At some point we all begin to realize how fleeting life is and that while we still have some time to make the most of it and reconnect with what is truly important , we should.
Expand ...

She was talked into driving down to Providence to take a different flight by Ohio State's Kevin McGuff, then a top ND assistant. Once everyone became aware of what was going on, those two were joined by ND Men's Basketball Coach Mike Brey (also in New England). They rented a car and drove home on I-95 and I-80 to ND. All three of them rarely acknowledge it now...
 
Dillon77 said:
She was talked into driving down to Providence to take a different flight by Ohio State's Kevin McGuff, then a top ND assistant. Once everyone became aware of what was going on, those two were joined by ND Men's Basketball Coach Mike Brey (also in New England). They rented a car and drove home on I-95 and I-80 to ND. All three of them rarely acknowledge it now...

And, yes, she very much mentioned the time that the pandemic has given her to reassess what to do next.
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.-.
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