LIKE YOU’VE NEVER SEEN HER BEFORE

HIT BY A SUDDEN LOSS OF SUCCESS THIS SEASON, NOTRE DAME COACH McGRAW SHOWS SOFTER SIDE

It was no secret the Notre Dame women’s basketball team would be facing a major challenge this season after losing all five starters from the year before. “We knew it was going to be a complete rebuild,” coach Muffet McGraw said.

A combination of inexperienced players, a lack of veteran leadership and injuries has resulted in the Irish’s worst season in McGraw’s 32 years as coach. Their 12-year run in the Associated Press Top 25 poll ended, and they’re projected to miss their first NCAA Tournament since 1995.

Those shortcomings have weighed heavily on McGraw, who hit a breaking point last month after a 34-point loss to visiting North Carolina State. Asked after the game about how hard it is to not have an answer for the team’s struggles, the Hall of Fame coach sighed as tears welled up in her eyes.

“I’ve got to do better,” she said. “I feel like I can fix it, but I didn’t.”

In a world that often portrays women as being too emotional, McGraw, a vocal advocate for gender equality, wasn’t afraid to show a moment of vulnerability in the limelight.

“I get a lot of comments from women about that,” she said. “Some said, ‘I relate to you so much more now this year because I’ve gone through that, [whereas] in the past you had so much success, I couldn’t really relate to you. And now, I feel like you’re more of a role model for me because of what you’re going through this year.’ It’s kind of mind-boggling to think how that works.”

In this week’s Chat Room, McGraw talked about this season’s difficulties and why she believes it’s important to have an all-female staff.