Niele Ivey named 2023 ACC Coach of the Year
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) - Notre Dame women’s basketball head coach Niele Ivey can not only call herself an ACC champion head coach, but also the ACC Coach of the Year.
The league’s postseason awards were announced on Tuesday evening. Ivey is the first coach from Notre Dame to win the award since her head coach and mentor, Muffet McGraw, won it in 2016.
This season, Ivey led the Irish to a regular season ACC title — the school’s first since 2017. In doing so, she became the first black female head coach to win an ACC title.
“Just a dream come true,” Ivey said of the honor. “A list of so many amazing coaches that received that award before me, obviously Muffet McGraw. I’m honored, blessed. I was speechless when I found out. It was tears. It was such an amazing moment for me and accomplishment. I wouldn’t have this award if it wasn’t for this team, amazing team and my staff.”
The top-seeded Irish have a double-bye in this week’s ACC Tournament, which means they won’t play until the quarterfinals on Friday afternoon. That’s when they will face the winner of Thursday’s matchup between the No. 8 NC State and No. 9 Syracuse.
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