Mike Brey Could Be Big East And National Coach Of The Year

AP

This is the time of year team's are looking forward to their conference tournaments and hoping they can boost their NCAA tournament resumes with a big win. This also a time when players and coaches are vying for awards around the country. Frank Haith of Missouri will be a strong candidate and Murray St.'s Steve Prohm has done an exceptional job with the Racers but one coach who will be looking to rack up some of those honors is Mike Brey.

Entering the 2011-2012 season the Notre Dame Fighting Irish were projected to finish 9th by the coaches in the Big East out of 16 teams. The UConn Huskies and the Syracuse Orangemen were projected to finish first and second, respectively.

The season did not start well for the Fighting Irish as senior and co-captain Tim Abromaitis would be forced to sit out the teams first four games because of a misunderstanding of NCAA rules from his sophomore season in 2008-09, when he played in a pair of exhibitions before redshirting that season cites ESPN.com. Even in his absence the team was able to win those games.

Last year was Mike Brey's 11th at the helm of the program and what a banner year for the program, winning a school best 27 games overall and 14 games in the Big East. The Irish received their highest seed ever in the NCAA tournament as a #2 seed in the Southwest Regional as well. Brey also won AP Coach of the Year and Big East Coach of the Year.

After his return they went 0-2 as he averaged 14 points and 7 rebounds per game. Things took a turn for the worst during a Friday practice as he tore his ACL ending his season and probably his collegiate career. As a fifth-year senior Abromaitis and the Fighting Irish have asked the NCAA to extend a sixth-year for him but that seems bleak at best.

After the loss of Abromaitis the team went 7-6 but then took of on a torrid pace ripping off 9 wins in a row before falling to St. John's at Madison Square Garden last Saturday.

Now coach Brey had to make due without a preseason All-Big East selection and someone who played on the USA men's basketball World University Games team this past August. He would rely heavily on players such as sophomores Jerian Grant and Eric Atkins and junior Jack Cooley. They have averaged 12.4 points, a little under 5 rebounds per game and are shooting 47% from the field.

The Irish entered this week ranked #20 in the AP and #19 in the ESPN/USA Today Poll and third in the Big East at 12-4. Not one person would have thought after a tumultuous start to the season that this team would be anywhere near those rankings. Even after a loss on Monday on the road at #11 Georgetown this team has exceeded expectations and the credit has to fall squarely on the shoulders of coach Mike Brey.

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