Report: Mike Brey lands assistant coaching job in NBA

Jan 25, 2020; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Mike Brey reacts during the first half against the Florida State Seminoles at Donald L. Tucker Center. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-USA TODAY Sports

After spending the last three-and-a-half decades in the college game, Mike Brey is shaking things up.

Tom Noie of the South Bend Tribune reported Monday that the ex-Notre Dame head coach Brey plans to join the Atlanta Hawks next season as an assistant under coach Quin Snyder. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski adds that no specific role has been finalized for Brey but that he visited with Atlanta last month.

Brey, 64, had coached the Fighting Irish for the last 23 seasons but stepped down after this most recent season. He posted a record of 483-280 (.633) at Notre Dame with 13 NCAA Tournament appearances (including two Elite Eights). Prior to taking the Notre Dame job in 2000, Brey was an assistant at Duke University and then the head coach at the University of Delaware.

It was there at Duke that Brey forged his connection with Snyder, who just took over as Hawks head coach in February. Brey coached at Duke during Snyder’s final two seasons in college there as a player (from 1987-89) and also when Snyder returned to Duke as an administrative assistant (from 1993-95). The two have remained close ever since.

Atlanta is currently in a first-round playoff series against the Boston Celtics (down 0-1). But once their season comes to an end, the Hawks will officially be welcoming Brey (who is apparently spurning a different job opportunity to join them).