Fans encouraged to bring a children's book to the game for donation to the South Bend Community School Corporation (7 p.m. ET, live webcast at UND.com).
Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame on June 11, 2011
Angie Potthoff, a former All-America forward at Penn State University and three-year pro basketball veteran, is in her sixth season on Muffet McGraw's staff at Notre Dame, and is in her first year as associate director for women's basketball operations & technology, having been named to that post on April 14, 2010.
In her new position, Potthoff coordinates all technology aspects for the Irish women's basketball program, including in-game video operations, film exchange and scouting data compilation. In addition, she works closely with coordinator of operations Stephanie Menio to oversee Notre Dame's groundbreaking advances in social media (including Facebook, YouTube and Twitter) and coordinates recruiting efforts on behalf of the program to include: preparation and distribution of recruiting materials; coordinating official visits, and arranging logistics surrounding on-campus recruiting weekends. She also serves as the liaison to the offices of athletics compliance and Academic Services for Student-Athletes on all academic and compliance issues, and she assists with summer camp operations.
"I can't think of anyone better suited to take on this new challenge than Angie," McGraw said. "She's bright, creative, organized and extremely gifted when it comes to keeping us on the cutting edge of technology at this day in age. This is a wonderful new position, and I believe Angie will be a huge asset to our program in that role for years to come."
"I'm excited about this new opportunity and I'm looking forward to my new responsibilities with the team," Potthoff said. "I have enjoyed working with Coach McGraw during the past five seasons and have learned so much in that time. Notre Dame is an amazing place and I am so lucky to have the chance to be a part of an amazing University and basketball program."
Potthoff steps into her new role after a five-year stint as an assistant coach with the Fighting Irish, during which time she worked with the team's post players, coordinated equipment and apparel needs, and assisted with game scheduling, game scouting and practice planning. In that time, Potthoff successfully tutored several Notre Dame post players, most notably forward Becca Bruszewski, who more than doubled her scoring and rebounding outputs from her freshman to sophomore seasons, and has been a reliable threat, both on the blocks and from the perimeter, since moving into the starting lineup in 2008-09. What's more, Potthoff worked with center Erica Williamson (`10) throughout her four-year career, helping her finish eighth on the school's career blocked shots list (125) and earn a place on the 2006-07 BIG EAST All-Freshman Team.
Prior to joining the Irish, Potthoff spent six years in the high school and college coaching ranks (1999-2005). Most recently, she concluded a three-year stint at Beaver (Pa.) Area High School, the first two as an assistant girls' basketball coach before elevating to the head coaching post for the 2004-05 season. In her three years at the school, the Bobcats logged a 38-36 record and twice advanced to the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) Class 3A playoffs, finishing as one of the top 32 teams in the state.
Prior to arriving at BAHS, Potthoff spent two seasons (2000-02) as an assistant coach at Robert Morris University in Moon Township, Pa. While there, she worked primarily with the Colonials' post players, and also helped coordinate the team's recruiting, scouting and game scheduling efforts. Potthoff began her coaching career as a graduate assistant at Indiana (Pa.) University in 1999-2000, aiding the Indians to a 24-5 record (the second-highest win total in school history), a school-record No. 4 national ranking during the season, and a trip to the NCAA Division II playoffs. That season, Potthoff worked closely with the Indians' 6-foot-5 center, Melissa McGill, who led the team in scoring (13.6 ppg.), rebounding (8.2 rpg.) and blocked shots (a school-record 69) en route to earning WBCA all-district honors.
Potthoff is perhaps best known as a standout post player at Penn State, where she led the Nittany Lions to three NCAA Tournament appearances, including two Sweet 16 trips and a berth in the 1994 regional final. While at PSU, Potthoff was a two-time WBCA coaches' honorable mention All-American (1996, 1997), while also garnering three All-America nods from the Associated Press (third team in 1996; honorable mention in 1995 & 1997). She was a three-time first-team all-Big Ten Conference selection (1995-97) and was named to the Big Ten All-Tournament Team in 1995 and 1996, picking up Most Valuable Player honors in the latter season after sparking Penn State to its second consecutive Big Ten Tournament title.
In each of her final three seasons at Penn State, Potthoff led the Nittany Lions in scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage, winning a share of the Big Ten scoring title and finishing second in rebounding in 1997. To this day, she still remains among the top six on PSU's career lists for scoring (1,725 points/15.5 ppg.), rebounding (918/8.3 rpg.), field goal percentage (.574/709-1,235) and double-doubles (47). Potthoff graduated from Penn State in 1997 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise and Sport Science.
Following her stellar college career, Potthoff spent three seasons playing professionally in the United States. In 1997, she was a second-round draft pick (No. 12 overall) by the Columbus Quest of the now-defunct American Basketball League (ABL). There, she averaged 6.9 points and 3.5 rebounds per game as the Quest won their second consecutive ABL championship in 1998 before the league folded midway through the 1998-99 campaign. The following summer, Potthoff was selected in the fourth round (49th overall) of the WNBA Draft by the expansion Minnesota Lynx. She cracked the starting lineup for the first game in franchise history, going on to average 4.0 points and 2.7 rebounds per game that season before electing to retire as an active player and begin her coaching career.
Born June 12, 1974 in Erie, Pa., Potthoff currently lives in South Bend with her daughter, Ellie, who was born just before the start of fall practices in August 2009.
