After three years spent building her coaching resume elsewhere, Michaela Mabrey is back at her alma mater.
When the Memphis Grizzlies hired away associate head coach Niele Ivey, Notre Dame was back on the market for an assistant coach. After losing one alumna to the NBA, the team opted for another to replace her. On Monday, head coach Muffet McGraw announced that former Fighting Irish guard Michaela Mabrey would join the staff.
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After completing her career in South Bend, Mabrey joined the staff at the University of Miami as the coordinator of program and player development for the 2016-17 season. The next season, she was at the other Miami, joining Miami University (OH) as an assistant coach. Last year, Mabrey returned to a major-conference staff when she joined LSU as the director of recruiting.
On the court, Mabrey was best known for her 3-point shooting. She left Notre Dame ranked in the school’s top 10 for made 3-pointers (228, 5th all-time) and 3-point percentage (.396, 6th all-time). She was also in the top 10 for games played, appearing in 142 games over her career with the Fighting Irish.
In the university’s announcement, McGraw pointed to Mabrey’s familiarity with both the recruiting base and the demands of being a Notre Dame student-athlete. Those demands include regular expectations of Final Fours and conference championships, both of which Mabrey experienced during her time on the court.
As a member of the Fighting Irish, Mabrey competed in three Final Fours. Her teams also won both the regular season and conference tournament titles in each of her four seasons.
She joins a group at Notre Dame that is coming off its second straight appearance in the national championship game including a national title win in 2017-18.
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