Just about every college basketball expert agrees that Notre Dame will bounce back after a disappointing past few years. A great group of returnees, a solid incoming recruiting class and a touted transfer in Paul Atkinson will make the Irish a team to watch in the eyes of many. One of those Irish optimists is CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander, who has picked the Irish as one of five programs he expects to have a bounceback 2021-22 season. However, he also raises questions about Mike Brey’s long-term future as coach.
Norlander begins his outlook for the Irish by guessing that Brey only will remain as coach for three more seasons. Indeed, Brey will have just turned 65 at the end of the 2023-24 season, which would be his 29th as a collegiate head coach. Norlander believers how the Irish perform in the coming season will dictate the timeline Brey follows.
While we haven’t heard anything from Brey himself on when he might retire, it’s certainly possible that the thought has crossed his mind as he’s gotten older. Whenever it happens, it will be difficult to watch Notre Dame’s longest-tenured and winningest coach leave everything behind. In the meantime, he’s on a mission to bring the Irish back to relevancy, which he’s more capable of doing than at any other time over the past few years.