Newsstand: Notre Dame coach Niele Ivey named to Naismith Coach of the Year watch list
Notre Dame women’s basketball coach Niele Ivey was named one of 15 coaches who are up for the 2025 Naismith Coach of the Year award. She’s trying to follow in the footsteps of her mentor and predecessor, Muffet McGraw, who won the honor three times in 2001, 2013 and 2014.
South Carolina’s Dawn Staley is one of the 15 coaches on the watch list. She’s taken the accolade each of the last three times it’s been doled out and four times total, all in the last five years. It’ll be tough if not impossible for her to make it four triumphs in a row after this past Sunday’s 29-point loss to UConn. South Carolina lost the previous Sunday, too, to Texas.
Ivey and the Irish have wins over the Huskies and Longhorns on their résumé as well as a victory over USC and the Trojans’ head coach, Lindsay Gottlieb, who is also on the watch list.
Here’s a look at all 15 of the coaches on this year’s watch list.
| FULL NAME | SCHOOL | CONFERENCE |
|---|---|---|
| Geno Auriemma | UConn | BIG EAST |
| Kenny Brooks | Kentucky | SEC |
| Kim Caldwell | Tennessee | SEC |
| Mark Campbell | TCU | Big 12 |
| Cori Close | UCLA | Big Ten |
| Nell Fortner | Georgia Tech | ACC |
| Lindsay Gottlieb | USC | Big Ten |
| Niele Ivey | Notre Dame | ACC |
| Kevin McGuff | Ohio State | Big Ten |
| Jeff Mittie | Kansas State | Big 12 |
| Wes Moore | NC State | ACC |
| Kim Mulkey | LSU | SEC |
| Shea Ralph | Vanderbilt | SEC |
| Vic Schaefer | Texas | SEC |
| Dawn Staley | South Carolina | SEC |
Notre Dame tweets of the day
Ivey: the Irish’s leader. The Irish’s inspiration.
The Fighting Irish are leaning into the All-American candidacy of Hannah Hidalgo and Olivia Miles with 3D printed mini figures of the two ballers in the backcourt.
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The 2024 Fighting Irish football team, a squad that amassed a 14-2 overall record and finished the season as the national runner-up, was honored during Wednesday’s men’s basketball game.
Fighting Irish quote of the day
“He can spin it with the best of them. The ball flies off his hands. Mechanically, just super sound, super efficient with his motions. He’s able to make decisions and get the ball out of his hands really quickly. It’s just like, when he’s out there, the game’s happening a little bit slower for him.”
— Irish quarterbacks coach Gino Guidugli on CJ Carr
Blue & Gold headlines of the day
• Golden Grahams: Who is Notre Dame men’s basketball recruiting in 2026 class?
• Inside Notre Dame football’s QB shake-up: How QBs coach Gino Guidugli helped sign Blake Hebert
• Make or break: Five now or never Notre Dame football players in 2025
• Notre Dame hopes to sway four-star Norman recruit away from Oklahoma
• Can Notre Dame women’s basketball become first team to go 18-0 in ACC play?
• Lucky Charms: Intel on Notre Dame safety recruiting with one target scheduling official visit
