Muffet McGraw Biography

The luck of the Irish, recognized for centuries as more than a myth, is certainly personified by The University of Notre Dame being able to attract and keep one Muffet McGraw head coach of the Irish women's basketball program.

The Fighting Irish have had the good fortune to have McGraw head up their women's basketball program for 17 years. McGraw on the other hand rather humbly suggests it's she who has enjoyed the luck of the Irish saying, "I've been truly blessed to have had the opportunity to coach at the University of Notre Dame, I couldn't be happier right now. I love Notre Dame and I have the best job in the world."

McGraw, who is only the third coach ever to lead the Notre Dame women's basketball program was hired by the University in May of 1987. Indicative of Notre Dame's intent for a long term relationship with McGraw former Irish athletic director Gene Corrigan said, "If we searched for an entire year, I don't think we would find anyone better suited for our program." In 1987 who knew, 17 years later its easy to view Corrigan as an accurate prophet.

McGraw, in her first year at the Irish helm, took a 12-15 team from the previous year and coached them to a 20-8 record (.714) winning percentage, a 7-3 conference record and in the process was named conference Coach of the Year, an award she was to win several more times albeit in other conferences.

McGraw, unwittingly set the parameters her very first year, what the next 16 in terms of win/loss and winning percentage would look like. At Notre Dame her teams have averaged 21 wins per season with a (.713) winning percentage during her tenure.

With Coach McGraw leading the way Notre Dame's rise to prominence shows no signs of stagnating any time soon. In July 2002, the Irish head coach signed a five-year contract extension making the luck of the Irish hold at least through the 2008-09 campaign. Her first 17 seasons at Notre Dame have produced 15 20-win seasons (including a current string of 11 straight), 11 NCAA tournament appearances (including a current streak of 9 straight), six "Sweet Sixteen" berths, two trips to the Final Four and the 2001 NCAA title.

As the current Notre Dame AD Kevin White said recently about McGraw, "Quite simply, we believe we have the best coach in women's college basketball right here at Notre Dame in Muffet McGraw." White continued on, "She is a great fit for Notre Dame, and she has taken us where we want to go in the women's basketball world. The NCAA title in '01, the ongoing successes we've had in the postseason and her recruiting efforts overall have cemented Notre Dame's position as one of the elite programs in the country. There are many more great days ahead for our women's basketball program, and I'm very pleased to know that Muffet will continue to lead us in the right direction."

After the 2000-01' season concluded with Notre Dame atop the world of NCAA Women's collegiate basketball, eyes glistening, trophy shining, it would be easy to think that Muffet McGraw and the University having reached the long sought after pinnacle of success would relax and enjoy the accomplishment. From McGraw's point of view nothing could be further from the truth. As she said, "When you finally reach your ultimate goal, you have to enjoy the moment, and then get back to work preparing to do it again. Without a doubt, we were ecstatic to win the national championship in 2001. It satisfied a goal our program had been aiming for since I came to Notre Dame 17 years ago." McGraw went on to note, "But, with that achievement comes a new level of expectation from everyone associated with our program. We have been to the mountaintop and we know what it takes to get there. Now, we expect to be a regular contender on the national level when March and April roll around."

McGraw's 17 year tenure at Notre Dame has produced a sparkling 357-144 record (.713) winning percentage, add in her 5 year stint at Lehigh and her 22 year coaching mark stands at 445-185 (.706)winning percentage.

When the Fighting Irish won their first ever NCAA women's basketball championship in 2001 it was the second final four appearance for them in the past five seasons. Talk about never giving up, the Irish became the only NCAA champion to come back from a double-digit deficit in both their Final Four games on their march to the NCAA crown.

McGraw earned several national awards following the 2000-01' championship season. Her team set several records including Notre Dame's best ever regular season record with a 26-1 mark (.962) winning percentage, a school record 34 wins and only the second 30 win season in school history (McGraw's 1996-97' team won 31 games), the Fighting Irish best ever overall record of 34-2 (.944) winning percentage. McGraw was honored as the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), Associated Press and Sports Illustrated National Coach of the Year. Additionally, she was honored by the Atlanta Tipoff Club as the Naismith Women's College Coach of the Year.

Among other honors McGraw garnered following the championship 2000-01 season she was named the WBCA District I Coach of the Year and voted the Big East Coach of the Year. The Big East nod provided a truly unique distinction for McGraw, being named Coach of the Year in the four different conferences she has coached in during her head coaching career.

Coach McGraw set the stage for success at Notre Dame with her outstanding 5 year coaching stint at Lehigh leading the Engineers to new highs in their women's basketball program. Her teams went 88-41 (.683) winning percentage and posted consecutive 20 win seasons playing in the East Coast Conference. Lehigh's 24 wins in the 1985-86' season was the most games the women's basketball team had won in the school's history and this edition of the Engineers won both the ECC regular season title and the post season conference crown. McGraw was named the ECC Coach of the Year after the 1982-83 season, her first at Lehigh.

To appreciate McGraw's fire, her competitiveness and aggressive nature, her propensity for success, you must harken back to her days as a player at St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love and a veritable hotbed of basketball. She was a four year starter and was captain of the 1976-77 Hawk's team which went 23-5 (.821) winning percentage and finished the season ranked number three nationally. In McGraw's four years at St. Joe's she participated in two post season tournaments.

McGraw's former mentor Jim Foster, head coach of women's basketball at Ohio State who has 25 seasons coaching NCAA Division I women's basketball with over 500 wins to his credit and formerly the head coach at St. Joseph's says, "Muffet is one of the bright young minds in the game. She has a knack for offensive basketball. Her teams are fun to watch and I'm not surprised at her success."

Muffet McGraw received a B.S. degree in Sociology from St. Joseph's University in 1977.

McGraw and her husband, Matt, live in Granger with their fourteen-year-old son, Murphy.

Some of her accomplishements are:

17 years Head Coach University of Notre Dame Women's Basketball
Most coaching wins in history of Notre Dame Women's Basketball
Her Notre Dame teams averaged 21 wins per season (.713) winning percentage during her tenure
First 17 seasons at Notre Dame produced 15 20-win seasons (including a current string of 11 straight)
11 NCAA tournament appearances (including a current streak of 9 straight)
Six "Sweet Sixteen" berths
Two trips to the Final Four
The 2001 NCAA Women's Basketball Championship Title
Notre Dame - 357-144 record (.713) winning percentage
Overall record 22 seasons - 445-185 (.706) winning percentage
Only NCAA champion to come back from a double-digit deficit in both their Final Four games
Notre Dame's best ever regular season record with a 26-1 mark (.962) winning percentage
School record 34 wins only second 30 win season in school history
(McGraw's 1996-97' team won 31 games)
Fighting Irish best ever overall record of 34-2 (.944) winning percentage
Honored as Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) National Coach of the Year 2000-01'
Associated Press - National Coach of the Year 2000-01' season
Sports Illustrated National Coach of the Year 2000-01' season
Honored by Atlanta Tipoff Club as Naismith Women's College Coach of the Year 2000-01' season
Named WBCA District I Coach of the Year 2000-01' season
Voted Big East Coach of the Year 2000-01' season
Named Coach of the Year in four different conferences she has coached in during her head coaching career
Lehigh teams went 88-41 (.683) winning percentage - 5 seasons
Posted consecutive 20 win seasons playing in the East Coast Conference
Lehigh's 24 wins in 1985-86' season most games won women's basketball in school's history
Engineers won ECC regular season title 1985-86 season
Lehigh won post season conference crown 1985-86 season
First season at Lehigh named ECC Coach of the Year after 1982-83 season
Four year starter for St. Joseph's University - 1973-74' thru 1976-77' season
Captain of the 1976-77 Hawk's team which went 23-5 (.821) winning percentage
St. Joe's finished 1976-77 season ranked number three nationally
Two post season tournaments in four years playing at St. Joe's
Named an honorary alumna by the Notre Dame Alumni Association in 1997
Inducted into Philadelphia Big Five Women's Hall of Fame in 1989
B.S. degree in Sociology from St. Joseph's University