ACC commissioner Jim Phillips presented [autotag]Mike Brey[/autotag] with a commemorative photo before Notre Dame’s conference tourney loss to Virginia Tech. Former Irish player [autotag]Jordan Cornette[/autotag], calling the game for ACC Network, did likewise.
It was the time for it to happen because there was a very good chance that this would be the Irish’s only appearance in the tournament, and it was. Although the Hokies were the team moving on, the significance of the Irish’s loss was not lost on college basketball fans.
No one knows where Brey will end up next, but it won’t feel the same regardless. He has become so synonymous with Notre Dame that people both part and not part of the Irish’s fan base took to Twitter after the game to express their appreciation for him. He deserves all the recognition he’s getting right now, not only for what he’s done as a coach but also for who he is as a person.
Here are only some of the tributes that have been tweeted out: