Head coach Mike Brey is staying in South Bend after he was considered to be a leading candidate for the vacant Maryland job, but Carleton Scott is passing up a chance to rejoin him at Notre Dame for his fifth season and is leaving his name in the NBA Draft.
A Maryland native, Brey decided not to consider going home because he feels like he’s home already.
“Maryland holds a special spot in my heart,” he admitted. “Half of my family graduated from there and my wife’s family. But I never interviewed with them and it never got more than an inquiry because I feel so good about the momentum of our program. We’ve worked 11 years to get in this position. We feel we have really good momentum. I like where our recruiting is. I’m honored to have ND next to my name.
“We’ve got a lot invested here in this community and this place…This is home.”
Other schools have inquired in the past, but Brey hasn’t interviewed for another job since being hired by Notre Dame in the summer of 2000.
“You went to the Maryland basketball camp when you were 10 years old,” Brey said. “You kind of grew up around Maryland basketball and Lefty Driesell, so certainly it tugs at your heart a little bit, but my feeling was I didn’t need to meet with anybody because I really knew where my frame of mind was in this. I’m flattered that they would inquire, but that’s kind of where it ended.”
Brey singled out Director of Athletics Jack Swarbrick and university president Rev. John Jenkins as factors in his decision among other things.
“This has kind of become your program, your identity is on it,” said Brey. “It takes a lot of work to get it to this point. I feel in the last four or five years, we may have found some different avenues to do this thing further.”
Brey also said he likes being in the Big East.
“I should have my head examining for saying that, but I like it and we have a niche in that league,” he said.
The coach hopes to be able to retire at Notre Dame the way Jim Calhoun and Jim Boeheim will leave Connecticut and Syracuse, respectively. Although he also doubts he’ll be able to stay at Notre Dame for 30 years.
“I’ve got another 19, I don’t know about that,” he laughed. “Nothing’s changed in that frame of mind.”
Brey expects to get a contract extension done soon, but isn’t worried about it.
“Jack and I have had discussions about the future,” he said. “That’ll all work out at the right time. I’m not losing sleep over it.”
Meanwhile, Scott woke up Sunday morning, the last day for him to withdraw his name from the draft, and decided he was moving on. The 6-foot-8 forward got positive feedback regarding his athleticism, defense and shooting ability after NBA workouts.
“The feedback really pushed me,” he said. “Having those guys come up to me and say, ‘Hey, you really have a chance to make it.’”
Still, he understands there’s a chance he will go undrafted.
“I’m not going to lie it is an intimidating process just not knowing,” he said. “That’s one of the risks you have to take…and that’s a risk I’m willing to take.”
Scott is set to graduate from Notre Dame in two weeks and admitted that played a big role. He also admitted that when sat down with Brey, he couldn’t come up with any negatives to returning for his fifth season, but is ready to move on.
“This is a safety boat, everything here is good,” Scott said. “Coming back and getting better in this light would have been a great thing, but I feel like I can try to do that somewhere else.”
Scott said it was tough to pass up the chance to be the top option next season, but has been dreaming of playing in the NBA since he first picked up a basketball.
“I just always wanted to be an NBA player, just to have that dream one step closer is a great feeling,” he said.
Scott is relieved to have the decision behind him, but will miss his teammates and Notre Dame.
“It was a great atmosphere here,” he said. “The school, I loved it. All four years, everybody’s been good to me, the fans, the teammates, the coaches.”
