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Muffet McGraw

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Muffet McGraw
McGraw at the 2011 WBCA convention in Indianapolis
Biographical details
Born (1955-12-05) December 5, 1955 (age 68)
Pottsville, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Playing career
1974–1977Saint Joseph's
1979–1980California Dreams
Position(s)Guard
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1977–1979Archbishop Carroll HS
1980–1982Saint Joseph's (assistant)
1982–1987Lehigh
1987–2020Notre Dame
Head coaching record
Overall936–293 (.762)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Awards
Basketball Hall of Fame
Inducted in 2017 (profile)
Women's Basketball Hall of Fame

Ann "Muffet" McGraw (née O'Brien; born December 5, 1955) is an American former college basketball coach, who served as the head women's basketball coach at Notre Dame from 1987 to 2020, compiling a 848–252 (.771) record over 33 seasons.

Career

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McGraw led her team to nine Final Fours (1997, 2001, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018 and 2019), seven championship game appearances (2001, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2018, and 2019), and two National Championships in 2001 and 2018. McGraw was the sixth different Division I coach to win multiple NCAA titles, joining Dawn Staley, Geno Auriemma, Pat Summitt, Linda Sharp, Tara VanDerveer and Kim Mulkey.[1]

McGraw was born in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. She graduated from Bishop Shanahan High School in 1973 and Saint Joseph's University in 1977.[2] She briefly played professionally for the California Dreams of the Women's Professional Basketball League. She coached at Archbishop John Carroll High School from 1977 to 1979, and worked as an assistant coach at Saint Joseph's from 1980 to 1982. From 1982 to 1987 she was head coach at Lehigh University where one of her notable players was Cathy Engelbert.[3] McGraw was also Lehigh's softball coach from 1982 until 1985.[4]

McGraw became head coach at Notre Dame in 1987. Between 1987 and 2020, she led the Irish to 26 NCAA tournament appearances including a streak of 24 straight seasons from 1995 to 2019. During this streak, Notre Dame reached the second round in all but one appearance, including 7 championship game appearances. McGraw compiled 50 wins over ranked opponents, including 40 over the last 8 seasons. Her teams appeared in the AP poll 139 times during her tenure. Notre Dame finished in the Top 3 of the Big East in 9 out of the 11 seasons they were in the league and finished in first place in the Atlantic Coast Conference in all 4 seasons since they entered the conference.

McGraw received the US Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) Coach of the Year award, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year award, and the Naismith College Coach of the Year award in 2001. She was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011 and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017.[5][6][7][8] In 2016, the John R. Wooden Award committee recognized her with the 2017 Legends of Coaching Award.[9]

McGraw is the 27th coach in NCAA history to win over 500 career games, and is currently tied as the eighth head coach in NCAA Division I basketball history to reach 800 career wins. On April 1, 2018, she achieved her 800th career victory at Notre Dame with a win over the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the National Championship game, her second national title with the Fighting Irish. On December 30, 2018, she notched her 900th career win against Lehigh, the team at which she began her collegiate coaching career in 1982.[10]

On April 22, 2020, McGraw announced that she was stepping down as the head coach of Notre Dame.[11] She was succeeded by Niele Ivey, who had spent 17 seasons at Notre Dame as a player and an assistant coach.[12]

Personal life

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She married her husband, Matt McGraw, in October 1977 and together they have a son, Murphy.[13]

Awards and honors

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Head coaching record

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Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Lehigh Engineers (East Coast Conference) (1982–1987)
1982–83 Lehigh 14–9
1983–84 Lehigh 13–9
1984–85 Lehigh 20–8
1985–86 Lehigh 24–4
1986–87 Lehigh 17–11
Lehigh: 88–41 (.682)
Notre Dame Fighting Irish (North Star Conference) (1987–1988)
1987–88 Notre Dame 20–8 7–3 2nd
Notre Dame Fighting Irish (Midwestern Collegiate Conference) (1988–1995)
1988–89 Notre Dame 21–11 12–2 T-1st WNIT Seventh Place
1989–90 Notre Dame 23–6 16–0 1st
1990–91 Notre Dame 23–9 15–1 1st WNIT Eighth Place
1991–92 Notre Dame 14–17 8–4 2nd NCAA first round
1992–93 Notre Dame 15–12 11–5 T-2nd
1993–94 Notre Dame 22–7 10–2 1st NCAA first round
1994–95 Notre Dame 21–10 15–1 1st WNIT Third Place
Notre Dame Fighting Irish (Big East Conference) (1995–2013)
1995–96 Notre Dame 23–8 15–3 2nd NCAA second round
1996–97 Notre Dame 31–7 17–1 2nd NCAA Final Four
1997–98 Notre Dame 22–10 12–6 T-4th NCAA Sweet Sixteen
1998–99 Notre Dame 26–5 15–3 3rd NCAA second round
1999–00 Notre Dame 27–5 15–1 2nd NCAA Sweet Sixteen
2000–01 Notre Dame 34–2 15–1 T-1st NCAA Champions
2001–02 Notre Dame 20–10 13–3 2nd NCAA second round
2002–03 Notre Dame 21–11 10–6 T-5th NCAA Sweet Sixteen
2003–04 Notre Dame 21–11 12–4 T-2nd NCAA Sweet Sixteen
2004–05 Notre Dame 27–6 13–3 T-2nd NCAA second round
2005–06 Notre Dame 18–12 8–8 10th NCAA first round
2006–07 Notre Dame 20–12 10–6 T-5th NCAA second round
2007–08 Notre Dame 25–9 11–5 4th NCAA Sweet Sixteen
2008–09 Notre Dame 22–9 10–6 T-4th NCAA first round
2009–10 Notre Dame 29–6 12–4 T-4th NCAA Sweet Sixteen
2010–11 Notre Dame 31–8 13–3 T-2nd NCAA Runner-Up
2011–12 Notre Dame 35–4 15–1 1st NCAA Runner-Up
2012–13 Notre Dame 35–2 16–0 1st NCAA Final Four
Notre Dame Fighting Irish (Atlantic Coast Conference) (2013–2020)
2013–14 Notre Dame 37–1 16–0 1st NCAA Runner-Up
2014–15 Notre Dame 36–3 15–1 1st NCAA Runner-Up
2015–16 Notre Dame 33–2 16–0 1st NCAA Sweet Sixteen
2016–17 Notre Dame 33–4 15–1 1st NCAA Elite Eight
2017–18 Notre Dame 35–3 15–1 T-1st NCAA Champions
2018–19 Notre Dame 35–4 14–2 T-1st NCAA Runner-Up
2019–20 Notre Dame 13–18 8–10 T-9th
Notre Dame: 848–252 (.771) 425–97 (.814)
Total: 936–292 (.762)[22]

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Muffet McGraw". Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Official Athletics Website. May 9, 2019. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  2. ^ "Muffett McGraw". Chester County Sports Hall of Fame. 2010. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  3. ^ "Lehigh alumna Cathy Engelbert '86 appointed first WNBA Commissioner," Lehigh University Athletics, Wednesday, May 15, 2019. Retrieved October 29, 2019
  4. ^ "Lehigh Softball Record Book" (PDF). January 11, 2023.
  5. ^ "Naismith College Coach of the Year". Atlanta Tipoff Club. Archived from the original on March 2, 2013. Retrieved January 5, 2013.
  6. ^ "USBWA WOMEN'S HONORS". USBWA. Retrieved April 1, 2011.
  7. ^ a b c "Past Russell Athletic/WBCA National Coaches of the Year". Women's Basketball Coaches Association. Retrieved June 30, 2014.
  8. ^ a b "Muffet McGraw". Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. Retrieved April 5, 2015.[permanent dead link‍]
  9. ^ a b WNDU. "Muffet McGraw Named 2017 Wooden Legends of Coaching Award Recipient". Retrieved October 12, 2016.
  10. ^ "Ogunbowale scores 23 as Notre Dame's McGraw wins 900th". ESPN. December 30, 2018. Retrieved December 31, 2018.
  11. ^ Voepel, Mechelle (April 22, 2020). "Muffet McGraw steps down as women's basketball coach at Notre Dame". ESPN. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
  12. ^ "Irish's McGraw retires after Hall of Fame career". ESPN.com. April 22, 2020. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  13. ^ "Coach Muffet McGraw and her husband share their love story". ABC57.
  14. ^ "Notre Dame's Muffet McGraw is AP Coach of the Year". AP.
  15. ^ "Carol Eckman Award". Women's Basketball Coaches Association. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved July 1, 2014.
  16. ^ a b c "Muffet McGraw Sweeps National Coach Of The Year Honors". Notre Dame Athletics. April 9, 2013. Retrieved March 14, 2014.
  17. ^ Smith, Michelle (March 14, 2014). "Stewart is espnW player of the year". ESPN. Retrieved March 14, 2014.
  18. ^ "Breanna Stewart wins as sophomore". ESPN. April 5, 2014. Retrieved April 5, 2014.
  19. ^ "U.S. BASKETBALL WRITERS AWARDS". U.S. Basketball Writers Association. March 31, 2014. Retrieved April 7, 2014.
  20. ^ "Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw's road to Basketball Hall of Fame included plenty of twists". Archived from the original on May 20, 2017. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
  21. ^ "Convention". NCAA.org.
  22. ^ "Women's Basketball Coaches Career". NCAA. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
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