Mike Brey reportedly not offered South Florida job, plans to take time off coaching
Mike Brey was in the running for a job that would have taken him from The Bend to the beach. The former Notre Dame men’s basketball head coach interviewed for the same role at South Florida in recent days. It did not, though, materialize into his next stop.
South Florida did not offer Brey the job in the days following the interview, he told ESPN’s Pete Thamel. Per Thamel, he will “take some time off and pursue television.” If that intent holds, it will end a streak of 28 seasons as a Division I head coach, with 23 of those coming at Notre Dame. His Irish tenure ended March 7 with a 483-280 record and 13 NCAA Tournament appearances. The final brought the highest loss total of his career. Notre Dame went 11-21 overall and 3-17 in the ACC.
A report Monday stated that South Florida was expected to hire Brey. Shortly after, several national and local reports refuted that an agreement had been reached. South Florida athletic director Michael Kelly told Thamel there had been discussions and an interview, but no offer.
Brey and Notre Dame announced Jan. 19 that he would step aside at the end of the season, which arrived with a first-round loss to Virginia Tech in the ACC tournament. Back then, he didn’t foresee a return to the sidelines elsewhere in 2023-24.
“I wouldn’t rule out being around young people and teaching and coaching again,” Brey said Jan. 20. “I don’t think I want to jump back into that next year. But take some time to think about it.”
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The South Florida job, though, offered personal life appeal in addition to a chance to continue coaching. It would have put him near his son, Kyle, and his grandchildren. Kyle coaches football at IMG Academy in nearby Bradenton. The job opened March 10 when South Florida parted ways with six-year head coach Brian Gregory, who went 79-107 overall and 33-72 in the American Athletic Conference.
If he got the job, Brey would have taken over a former Big East foe from his earlier Notre Dame days that has operated off the national radar for most of its history and the entire last decade. The Bulls have not reached the NCAA Tournament since 2012 and have just three appearances since they began playing Division I in 1973. Their lone winning season in the 11 years since then was a 24-14 record in 2018-19. They have not finished .500 or better in 10 seasons in the AAC.
South Florida was a Big East member from 2005-13 and joined the AAC when the old Big East’s Catholic schools split and kept the name. Brey had a 10-1 career record against the Bulls at Notre Dame.
Brey was also reportedly a candidate at Georgetown in the earlier stages of that search.
