Eric Atkins had 15 points, while Scott Martin added 11 points and Jack Cooley had nine points and nine rebounds.
Over the course of his 16-year head coaching career and his 11 seasons at Notre Dame, Mike Brey has quietly amassed an impressive resume that includes more than 300 career victories, 11 20-win seasons and nine NCAA tournament appearances.
And along the way, he has done it with a style and grace suitable of the high expectations Notre Dame places on its coaches for its student-athletes in all areas.
Since his arrival in July of 2000, he has worked steadily and diligently to build a nationally-respected basketball program. Brey's accomplishments are striking when one considers the emphasis that is placed at Notre Dame on the term "student-athlete."
Respect has followed Brey throughout his head-coaching career, but last season's 27-7 campaign earned him the admiration of the collegiate basketball world. Notre Dame's 27 wins during the regular season were the most-ever in the modern era of the program. No college basketball team a year ago was talked about more on a daily basis than Notre Dame or grabbed more national headlines.
The Irish finished second in the final BIG EAST regular-season standings matching a program-best 14-4 mark during the 18-game conference slate and advanced to the semifinals of the BIG EAST Championship for the second consecutive year. Notre Dame also was 8-3 versus ranked opponents with the eight wins representing the most in a single year by an Irish basketball team.
Notre Dame's surprising success earned Brey the Associated Press national coach of the year award and the Henry Iba award presented by the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) that annually is given by that organization as its national coach of the year.
He also was named the BIG EAST Coach of the Year for the third time in five seasons (also won the award in 2007 and 2008) and with that became just one of five coaches in league history to win the award on three or more occasions. Brey joined an elite list of individuals to win the award three or more times -- Jim Boeheim and Jim Calhoun have been four-time recipients, while Lou Carnesecca and John Thompson were three-time honorees.
Beginning the season unranked, the Irish captured the '10 Old Spice Classic during Thanksgiving weekend with victories over Georgia, California and Wisconsin and rode that momentum for the remainder of the season that culminated with a final No. 5 ranking in the Associated Press poll, the highest for a Notre Dame team in more than 30 years.
Brey's squad grabbed the attention of the nation with its 56-51 victory over No. 2 Pittsburgh at the Petersen Events Center over the No. 2 Panthers on January 24, 2011. The victory was the first-ever in six appearances at the Petersen Events Center and snapped the Panthers' 20-game home win streak as Notre Dame handed Pittsburgh just its 12th loss in 157 home contests. It also marked the highest ranked team a Notre Dame squad had defeated during the Brey era.
His squad completed an undefeated season at home for the third time in five campaigns as the Irish finished with a 17-0 mark. Over the last five years, Notre Dame has the most BIG EAST regular-season wins at home and ranks seventh nationally with a .933 winning percentage (84-6 record).
Notre Dame nearly made a sweep of the BIG EAST top honors as Ben Hansbrough became the fourth Notre Dame player (third under Brey) to win BIG EAST player-of-the-year accolades, while Tim Abromaitis was named the league's scholar athlete of the year for men's basketball for the second time in as many seasons.
Entering his 12th season on the Irish bench, Brey's name has become synonymous with Notre Dame basketball and success. As the third longest-tenured coach in the BIG EAST Conference behind Boeheim (Syracuse) and Calhoun (Connecticut), he has brought a feeling of confidence and stability to a program with a long and storied tradition. Brey ranks as the sixth all-time winningest coach in BIG EAST history with 119 regular-season and tournament victories. His Irish teams have won 10 or more regular-season contests in seven of 11 seasons.
In 16 seasons as a head coach, he owns an overall record of 337-172 for a .662 winning percentage and a 238-120 (.665) mark in 11 campaigns with the Irish.
His positive demeanor as a players' coach and his willingness to become an involved, active and valued member for the entire University community, have made him a perfect fit for Notre Dame.
During the 2009-10 campaign, Brey reached three milestones as he earned his 300th career win, his 200th victory at Notre Dame and his 100th BIG EAST win that includes both regular season and tournament games. When he earned his 100th league victory, he became only the sixth coach in conference history to accomplish that feat.
Brey's 200th win at Notre Dame came in the Irish's first BIG EAST game of the season when his team defeated Providence 93-78 on Dec. 30, 2009. With the victory, he became only the third coach in school history to reach the 200-win plateau. Only George Keogan (327 victories from 1923-43) and Digger Phelps (393 wins from 1971-91) own more wins than Brey from the Irish sidelines.
He picked up his 300th career win less than a week later on Jan. 5, 2010 at USF when his team pulled out a thrilling 74-73 victory on the road.
Brey's 100th BIG EAST victory was a very special one as it came close to the area in which he grew up -- Washington, D.C. On Feb. 27, 2010, his Irish squad upset nationally-ranked Georgetown, 78-64, at the Verizon Center.
In `09-'10, Brey guided Notre Dame to its sixth NCAA tournament appearance and 30th berth overall in school history. The Irish finished the campaign with a 23-12 record and posted its sixth 10-win BIG EAST regular season with a 10-8 mark.
Fourteen games into the conference regular-season, Notre Dame stood 6-8 in league play and was without the services of three-time All-American Luke Harangody who went down with a knee injury in mid-February. Having to reinvent his squad minus its top scorer and rebounder, Notre Dame rattled off four straight wins over ranked opponents en route to advancing to the semifinals of the BIG EAST Championship for the second time in four years and third time in 10 seasons. The Irish dropped a two-point decision (53-51) to eventual champion and Final Four participant West Virginia.
Brey employed a "burn offense" during that final stretch of the season that earned him the praise of his coaching peers and the wonderment of the college basketball world. The revamped tactic established a very methodical offensive style that made the most of every possession.
Notre Dame's fourth straight 20-win campaign in `09-'10 was a first since the mid-1980's when Phelps' teams won 20-plus games from 1983-89.
Selected by his coaching peers as the BIG EAST Coach of the Year in 2007 and 2008, Brey was just the third coach in BIG EAST history -- following Carnesecca of St. John's in 1985 and 1986 and P.J. Carlesimo of Seton Hall in 1988 and 1989 -- to win the coaching accolade in consecutive years after leading his teams to two of the most successful back-to-back campaigns in the program's 107-year history.
His selection as BIG EAST Coach of the Year in '08 marked the third such honor during his 13-year career as he was named America East Co-Coach of the Year in 1997 when he was the head coach at the University of Delaware.
During the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons, Notre Dame compiled a 49-16 overall record for a 75.4 winning percentage and 25-9 (.735) mark in BIG EAST play, marking the best two-year record in terms of wins and winning percentage since the Irish joined the BIG EAST in 1995-96.
Brey engineered one of the most successful campaigns in Notre Dame history in '07-'08 as he guided his team to a 25-8 record (third most wins in school history) and a program-best 14-4 record in BIG EAST play. The Irish tied for second in the final regular-season standings after being chosen ninth in the Coaches' Preseason Poll. The 25 wins had been the most ever under Brey and most since the 1973-74 campaign when that Irish team finished with a 26-3 mark. Notre Dame also led the nation in assists at 18.4 per game.
Since his arrival, Brey has put his signature on the Irish basketball program. After 11 successful campaigns, he has a BIG EAST Conference championship banner, seven NCAA tournament appearances and a trip to the Sweet 16 in 2003 to his credit. His teams have averaged better than 20 wins per season and have won better than 66-percent of their contests.
The Irish made history in '07-'08 as they completed their second straight season undefeated at home. It marked the first time in the 40-year history of the Joyce Center that a Notre Dame team had been undefeated at home in consecutive campaigns and the first time in conference history that a BIG EAST team finished undefeated at home in back-to-back seasons.
The Irish finished '07-'08 with a 17-0 record at home, following an 18-0 mark (school record for wins) in '06-'07. Notre Dame owned a 45-game win streak at the Joyce Center -- longest home win streak in school history -- that began with a 66-61 victory over DePaul on March 4, 2006, and ended with a 69-61 setback to Connecticut on Jan. 24, 2009. At the time of the loss, Notre Dame owned the nation's longest home win streak. In addition, with its 88-79 victory over Seton Hall on Jan. 10, 2009, Notre Dame tied Pittsburgh for the conference's all-time home court win streak with its 20th consecutive league victory at home.
A 24-year veteran of the collegiate ranks, he was the head coach at Delaware from 1995-2000 and an assistant coach at Duke University from 1987-95.
He has mentored three BIG EAST player-of-the-year honorees during his tenure -- Troy Murphy in '01, Luke Harangody in '08 and Hansbrough in '11. He has had at least one player earn all-conference honors in each of his 11 seasons and has coached nine first-team all-BIG EAST selections. Notre Dame placed two players on the all-BIG EAST first team in both `07 and '08 and is the only BIG EAST program to have a first-team all-conference selection each of the last six years.
He is the only coach in the 106-year history of the program to lead his teams to three consecutive 20-win seasons and three straight NCAA tournament berths in his first three seasons. Brey also is just the second coach (the other being Digger Phelps) in school history to register five 20-win campaigns in his first nine years.
As a head coach, nine of his teams have advanced to the NCAA tournament and have made 13 overall postseason appearances, including five in the NIT.
From 1997-2003, Brey guided his teams at both Notre Dame and Delaware to six consecutive 20-win seasons. His 1999-2000 Blue Hen squad and 2002-03 and 2006-07 Irish teams posted 24 wins, registering 24-8, 24-10 and 24-8 records, respectively. He was honored in 2003 by the NABC as its District 10 Coach of the Year.
The '06-'07 campaign proved to be one of Brey's finest coaching efforts as he took a squad that was picked to finish 11th in the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' poll and guided that team to a 24-8 record and 11-5 mark in BIG EAST play following a 16-14 record and 6-10 campaign in league play the previous season. The Irish finished fourth in the final conference regular-season standings to earn a first-round bye in the BIG EAST Championship and advanced to the semifinals of the tournament for just the second time in school history. The 11-5 BIG EAST mark at the time matched the best record and most wins by a Notre Dame team since becoming a league member in 1995-96.
Notre Dame also was the only team in the BIG EAST to finish the season undefeated at home (18-0). It marked the most wins at the Joyce Center since its opening in 1968-69 and the third undefeated season for an Irish team at home during the regular season.
His recruiting impact has been felt on the Notre Dame program with the enrollment of McDonald's and Parade All-Americans -- Chris Thomas in the fall of 2001, Torin Francis in 2002 and Luke Zeller in 2005. In addition, Thomas and Zeller, both Indiana natives, won the prestigious Mr. Indiana Basketball award and are the only two recipients of the honor to come to Notre Dame. Regarded as a true gentleman in the game today, Brey traveled to Kuwait in May of 2007 as part of Operation Hardwood IV, an event sponsored by the United Service Organization (USO) and Armed Forces Entertainment. For the Irish head coach, being amongst the service men and women proved to be a life-changing and powerful experience.
In '08, he was the recipient of the inaugural Skip Prosser award named after the late Wake Forest head coach and one of Brey's closest friends in the coaching profession.
NCAA Success at Notre Dame
Prior to Brey's arrival, Irish teams had not received an NCAA tournament bid in more than a decade. Before the berth in 2001, Notre Dame's last back-to-back NCAA appearances were in 1989 and 1990.
Brey's teams have faired well in their seven NCAA trips. In '01, as the No. 6 seed in the Midwest Region, Notre Dame defeated No. 11 seed Xavier, 83-71, and then dropped a 69-56 decision to No. 3 seed Mississippi.
Earning a No. 8 seed in the South Region in '02, Notre Dame dismantled No. 9 seed Charlotte, 82-63, in the first round before falling to top-ranked and defending national champion Duke, 84-77, in second-round action.
In '03, Brey and the Irish were focused on getting past the first weekend of basketball in March. Ranked for most of the season, Notre Dame earned a No. 5 seed in the West Region and played its first two NCAA games at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis. The Irish escaped with a 70-69 victory over No. 12 seed Wisconsin-Milwaukee in its first-round game and then beat No. 4 seed Illinois 68-60 for their first Sweet 16 appearance since 1987.
Notre Dame made its fourth appearance in seven seasons under Brey in '07 by earning an at-large berth as the No. 6 seed in the Midwest Region.
In '08, the Irish received an at-large bid as the No. 5 seed in the East Region and earned a first-round victory over No. 12 seed George Mason.
After its run at the end of the `09-'10 season, which saw the Irish win its final four regular-season contests and two BIG EAST tournament games, Notre Dame was the No. 6 seed in the NCAA South Regional.
The Irish earned a No. 2 seed in the Southwest Regional last year. That matched the highest seed for a Notre Dame team since 1981.
Making Notre Dame into a BIG EAST Contender
Currently the third-longest tenured coach in the league (behind Boeheim of Syracuse and Calhoun of Connecticut), Brey has guided the Irish to success in the BIG EAST Conference, leading his teams to a 112-72 regular-season mark (.609). In 10 of the last 11 seasons, Notre Dame has won nine or more games and posted 10-plus wins in seven of those campaigns.
Prior to the 2005-06 campaign, Notre Dame and Syracuse owned the distinction of being the only two schools to post winning conference records from 2000-05. Before being named head coach prior to the start of the 2000-01 campaign, Irish teams were just 35-53 (.398) in their first five seasons in the league.
Less than nine months after Brey was named head coach, Notre Dame captured its first BIG EAST regular-season title with an 11-5 record in league play. The 11 conference wins were the most by an Irish team since becoming a league member in 1995-96 as Brey's squad clinched the league crown with a week remaining in the regular season.
Under Brey, Notre Dame was the only BIG EAST school to win 10-plus games from 2000-03 (his first three seasons). The Irish posted an 11-5 record in 2000-01 and 10-6 marks in both 2001-02 and 2002-03. In addition, the Irish were the only league team that played in the NCAA tournament in '01, '02 and '03.
The Irish's 21 BIG EAST wins were matched only by Connecticut and Boston College during the two-year period from 2000-02. Brey's 31 BIG EAST regular-season wins in his first three seasons were, at the time, the third-most (tying him with Rollie Massimino of Villanova) by a coach in his first three seasons in the league.
Despite posting 9-7 records during the 2003-04 and 2004-05 campaigns, the Irish fell short of an NCAA tournament berth on both occasions. Notre Dame was the only team from one of the six major conferences (ACC, BIG EAST, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-10 and SEC) to have a winning record in league play that did not receive an NCAA bid in each of those two seasons. Notre Dame's 6-10 BIG EAST record in 2005-06 marked the first losing season under Brey. After beginning the conference regular season 1-8, Notre Dame went 5-2 down the stretch to earn a spot in the 12-team BIG EAST Tournament field. The 10 BIG EAST losses were by a combined 35 points (3.5 per game).
The Irish rebounded in '06-'07 to finish 11-5 in BIG EAST regular-season play and advanced to the semifinals of the league championship at New York's Madison Square Garden for just the second time in school history. The Irish earned their semifinal appearance with an 89-83 quarterfinal victory over Syracuse and then bowed to eventual tournament champion Georgetown, 84-82, in the semifinals in what many considered one of the greatest tournament games in conference history. The 12 wins at the time over BIG EAST foes (11 during the regular season and one in the conference championship) marked the most by a Notre Dame team over league foes prior to the 2007-08 campaign when that Irish squad finished with a program-best 14-4 regular-season record.
In '10-'11, Notre Dame's conference win total was a program-best 15 that included the 14 wins during the regular season and one in the BIG EAST tournament.
Players Excel Under His Tutelage
Brey's track record of developing players has been evident when BIG EAST honors have been announced. In each of his 11 seasons, he has had at least one player earn all-conference honors. In all, nine players have been selected for first-team honors during his 11-year tenure. Notre Dame is the only school that has had a first team selection each of the last six seasons.
Ben Hansbrough became the most recent Irish honoree as he was a unanimous first-team selection in `11 and the school's fourth player-of-the-year selection as he averaged 20.7 points per game in league play. In addition, Tim Abromaitis copped third-team all-league honors in addition to claiming the conference's men's basketball scholar-athlete of the year honor and earning first-team Capital One Academic All-America honors for the second time in as many seasons.
In '10, Luke Harangody, who finished as the second all-time leading scorer and rebounder at Notre Dame with 2,478 points and 1,222 rebounds, carved a unique niche in the BIG EAST history as one of only 11 three-time first-team all-conference honorees and the only player in league history to average better than 20.0 points and 10.0 rebounds in conference play as he finished off his career with averages of 20.4 points and 10.2 rebounds. Harangody, who became the first player in 2008-09 to lead the conference in scoring and rebounding in back-to-back seasons, finished as the conference's third all-time leading scorer (1,329 points) and second leading rebounder (662).
For the second straight year in '08, Notre Dame placed two players on the all-conference first team -- Harangody and Kyle McAlarney -- and was one of just two schools (the other being Connecticut) that had two players earn a spot on the first team. The previous year in '07 marked the first time in school history that the Irish had two players earn first-team all-league honors when Russell Carter and Colin Falls were selected, while Harangody and Tory Jackson garnered all-rookie team accolades. It marked the biggest award haul for the Irish in its 13-year history of being a BIG EAST member.
Chris Quinn, who played for the Irish from 2002-06, copped first-team BIG EAST honors in '06 and was named the recipient of the league's Sportsmanship Award. In addition, Quinn was named a first-team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America honoree, the school's first Academic All-America selection since 1998. He also was named to the Associated Press honorable mention All-America team.
In '05, Chris Thomas became the first Irish player to earn all-conference honors all four years when he was named a third-team selection. He also was a third-team honoree in '02 and a second-team selection in both '03 and '04. A two-time Associated Press honorable mention honoree, he was named the BIG EAST Rookie of the Year in '02, in addition to being selected to the league's all-rookie team. Thomas also became Notre Dame's first selection to the BIG EAST Championship all-tournament team, while Carter would join him on that list in 2007.
Basketball Times and Basketball News named Thomas, who was part of Brey's first recruiting class at Notre Dame, the national freshman of the year following his sensational rookie campaign.
From 2001-03, Notre Dame produced a first-team BIG EAST selection in each of those three seasons. In Brey's first season, Troy Murphy shared co-BIG EAST player-of-the-year honors and was a unanimous first team selection. In addition, he was a consensus All-America selection for the second time in his career.
Ryan Humphrey followed Murphy as a first-team selection in '02 as he also went on to earn second-team All-America honors from Basketball News. Matt Carroll, who concluded his career as the school's career three-point scoring leader, continued the streak in '03 and also garnered AP honorable mention All-America honors.
David Graves was a BIG EAST honorable mention selection in '02 (the third Irish player to earn all-conference honors that season) as was Torin Francis in '04 in his freshman season. As a freshman, Francis also became the second Irish player under Brey to be named to the all-rookie team.
Notre Dame was one of only four schools (the others were Duke, Indiana and Stanford) to have a player selected in the first round of the '01 and '02 NBA drafts. In the '02 draft, Humphrey was chosen as the 19th pick overall, while Murphy was the 14th player drafted in '01.
In the `10 draft, Harangody became the third player under Brey to get drafted as he was the 52nd pick overall by the Boston Celtics.
The Notre Dame Years
Brey's inaugural season at Notre Dame after being named the program's 17th head coach on July 14, 2000 could qualify as nothing short of a whirlwind.
In his debut on the Irish sidelines on Nov. 18, the 51-year-old Rockville, Md., native, led the Irish to a 104-58 victory over Sacred Heart to earn his 100th career coaching victory. Brey guided his team to 19 wins during the regular season, the most by an Irish first-year coach, and also became just the second coach in school history to take his team to the NCAA tournament in his first season. Notre Dame finished with a 20-10 record overall and an 11-5 mark in BIG EAST play as the Irish captured the West Division crown.
En route to the divisional crown, Notre Dame notched eight consecutive league wins and five straight road victories for the first time as a BIG EAST member. The Irish also produced three wins over top-10 teams (Georgetown, Boston College and Syracuse) for the first time since the 1991-92 campaign.
His squad finished 19th in the final AP ranking (and were ranked as high as 10th at one time during the season) for the program's first ranking on a national basis since '89.
During the 2001-02 campaign, the Irish finished with a 22-11 record and 10-6 mark in the West Division, good for second place in the final regular-season standings. Notre Dame earned a first-round bye in the conference post-season tournament and advanced to the semifinals of the championship for the first time, after posting its first-ever BIG EAST tournament victory in the quarterfinal round.
The 2002-03 campaign marked just the sixth time at that point -- and first since 1986-87 -- a Notre Dame team had won 24 or more games. In recording a 24-10 record, the Irish defeated five top-10 opponents for the first time in school history. Those victories over top-10 teams also were the most by any school that season. The wins over those schools included a string of three straight (No. 10 Marquette, No. 8 Maryland and No. 2 Texas) in a six-day stretch in early December of '02. It also marked the first time in school history that Notre Dame defeated three consecutive top-10 opponents. After those three victories, the Irish made their season debut in the Associated Press ranking at No. 10 after being unranked prior to that point. It was the third-highest leap in the polls since the ranking began including 25 teams. In defeating the defending national champion Terrapins and the Longhorns, Notre Dame captured the prestigious BB&T Classic in Washington, D.C.
Notre Dame climbed to as high as fifth in the polls and finished the season 20th in the AP ranking and 15th in the ESPN/USA Today Poll. The success for the Irish in the '03 NCAA tournament was notable as the Irish earned the No. 5 seed in the West Region, marking the highest seed for a Notre Dame team since '87. Notre Dame won a pair of games -- 70-69 vs. Wisconsin-Milwaukee and 68-60 vs. Illinois -- to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time since the '86-'87 campaign. In all 11 seasons under Brey, Notre Dame has advanced to the postseason. From 2004-06, the Irish played in the National Invitation Tournament. His 2003-04 and 2004-05 teams narrowly missed making the NCAAs with the '03-'04 squad finishing with a 19-13 record overall and 9-7 mark in BIG EAST play, while the '04-'05 unit was 17-12 and 9-7 in the BIG EAST. The '05-'06 team advanced to the second round of the NIT and finished with a 16-14 overall record and 6-10 mark in the BIG EAST. Notre Dame's current string of five consecutive 20-win seasons is the longest stretch since 1983-89 when Irish teams registered six straight campaigns of 20 or more wins.
His Coaching Pedigree
In 16 seasons as a head coach, Brey's teams have won three conference titles.
And while the accomplishments of the past 11 seasons and in his coaching career are impressive, one can't help but be captivated by his contagious enthusiasm and genuine sincerity. He's a man whose basketball bloodlines are as impressive as any coach in the collegiate ranks today.
Brey has a true passion for the game. He is an individual who appreciates the bonds and relationships he forms with his players, and a coach who understands the impact he can have on a player's life. He is, in no uncertain terms, a man who cares about the young men he coaches.
Reared in a home with two parents as educators, coaching appears to have been a natural profession for Brey to pursue. Associations with legendary coaches Morgan Wootten and Mike Krzyzewski have molded his philosophy and strengthened his foundation as a man and coach who is destined to continue Notre Dame's return to national prominence.
A former player and assistant coach for Wootten at DeMatha High School and a veteran of eight seasons as an assistant on the bench next to Krzyzewski at Duke, where he helped the Blue Devils to six NCAA Final Four appearances and two national championships, success has been an integral part of Brey's life as both a player and coach.
Having missed out on the Irish head coaching vacancy in March of 1999, Brey earned another shot at the only coaching job he coveted while the head coach at Delaware. When Matt Doherty left for the University of North Carolina in July after just one season, Brey was the man targeted by Notre Dame for the post.
The Delaware Years
Brey led Delaware to unprecedented success during his five-year tenure as the Blue Hens' head coach from 1995-2000 including postseason bids in each of his last three seasons. Brey brought to Notre Dame a wealth of basketball experience and all the characteristics necessary for success.
In the span of five seasons at Delaware, he guided the Blue Hens to success never before experienced in the program's history. His five years at Delaware combined to produce a 99-52 record for Brey, including a 60-30 mark in America East competition. Prior to his arrival at the Newark, Del., school, Delaware had made only two previous trips to the NCAA tournament -- but doubled that total in his third and fourth seasons. In 1997-98, Brey copped co-America East coach-of-the-year honors after his team finished with a 20-10 overall record and won the America East Conference title with a 12-6 mark. The Blue Hens earned the No. 15 seed in the NCAA Midwest Regional and lost to Purdue in the first round.
That campaign signaled what would be the first of three consecutive 20-win seasons for Brey at Delaware, a first in the program's history. In Brey's first two seasons, the Blue Hens were 30-28, finishing with a 15-12 mark in 1995-96 and 15-16 in 1996-97.
In his fourth season at Delaware, he guided the Blue Hens to a 25-6 record, the second-most wins in school history. For the second straight year, Brey's squad won the America East regular-season crown (finishing with a 15-3 record) and tournament title. As the No. 13 seed in the NCAA East Regional, the Blue Hens pushed 20th-ranked Tennessee to the final buzzer, but fell 62-52. In 1999-2000, Delaware finished 24-8 (14-4 in conference play) and received a bid to the National Invitation Tournament, losing to Villanova in the first round.
His teams' on-court success during those five seasons helped set Delaware attendance records as well. The Blue Hens in 1998-99 averaged a record 4,815 fans (in 5,000-seat Bob Carpenter Center), including nine sellouts. Then in 1999-2000, they topped that figure with a 4,989 average and a dozen sellouts.
In Brey's five seasons with the Blue Hens, Delaware ranked as the only America East team to finish in the top half of the league standings in each of those seasons. His .659 winning percentage over the last eight years ranks as the second-best in the country (behind only Michigan State's Tom Izzo) among those Division I head coaches who took over programs in 1995-96. Success for Brey's teams at Delaware was not limited to the court. While at Delaware, every senior who completed his eligibility graduated. Mike Pegues, an all-America East forward, was a third-team Academic All-American and America East Scholar-Athlete of the Year for 1997-98.
Still regarded as a popular figure at the University, Brey was inducted into the Delaware Athletic Hall of Fame in November of 2007.
The Duke Experience
Prior to taking over at Delaware, Brey served under Krzyzewski at Duke for eight seasons beginning in 1987-88. During that time, he saw the Blue Devils advance to six NCAA Final Fours, four national title games and claim the NCAA championship in both 1991 and 1992. The Blue Devils finished with a combined 216-65 record (.769) during his eight seasons and won 24 or more games in seven of those campaigns.
During his tenure at Duke, he recruited and worked daily with four of the greatest players in that program's history -- Danny Ferry, Christian Laettner, Bobby Hurley and Grant Hill.
The DeMatha Years
Prior to entering the collegiate ranks, Brey spent five seasons as an assistant coach at his high school alma mater, DeMatha High School in Hyattsville, Md., under Wootten before taking the assistant's post at Duke. He served as DeMatha head junior varsity coach and varsity assistant beginning in 1982.
During the five years, DeMatha combined to finish 139-22 while claiming four league crowns and two city titles -- as well as a number-one ranking by USA Today in 1984.
As a player, he played for two seasons at DeMatha and helped the Stags finish with a combined 55-9 record.
