Coachspeak: Muffet McGraw – Notre Dame Fighting Irish

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 – by Adesina O. Koiki
A Lot of Sports Talk editor-in-chief

PHILADELPHIA — In a city as steeped in basketball tradition as the City of Brotherly Love, Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw clearly is one on the Philadelphia’s basketball giants.

The West Chester, Penn. native earned her bachelor’s degree from Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia before embarking on one of the great head coaching careers in college basketball history. After five seasons coaching at Lehigh University, McGraw took over the head coaching position at Notre Dame in 1987.

The rest, as they say, is history.

McGraw has led the Fighting Irish women’s basketball program to seven Final Four appearances and five national championship games, with the Irish winning the national championship in 2001. As her illustrious career continues, McGraw is just one of six head coaches in NCAA Division I history, men or women, with 800 wins, seven Final Fours and five NCAA title games. The other coaches on that list? Pat Summitt, Geno Auriemma, Mike Krzyzewski, Dean Smith and Roy Williams

And like those five other coaches on that prestigious list, McGraw is now enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, as she was inducted this past September. In our latest edition of Coachspeak, A Lot of Sports Talk‘s Adesina O. Koiki caught up with McGraw during her homecoming to Philadelphia, one where her third-ranked Notre Dame team defeated Penn 66-54. In the interview, McGraw talked about what made the back-to-back defending Ivy League champions such a tough team to play against, what it means to have so many supporters, friends and family, come to The Palestra to meet and greet her and her experience in Springfield, Mass. at the Hall of Fame this fall.

There will be many more one-on-one interviews with some of the best college basketball minds during the season, and make sure you continue to follow A Lot of Sports Talk‘s NCAA page to stay in touch with all of our college basketball coverage throughout the season.

*Editor’s note: Below this graph is the photo gallery from the Notre Dame-Penn game, with all photos taken by our senior photographer, Robert Cole. You can enjoy the picture gallery by letting the pictures slide across the page, or you can enlarge the featured picture by clicking on the picture. Also, you can control how fast the pictures slide across the page by pressing the left and right arrow buttons to scroll through the pictures. There are 19 pictures in the gallery.

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WBB: No. 3 Notre Dame at Penn (12.09.17)

Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw (2nd from right) is honored for her 2017 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame induction before the start of a women's basketball game between Notre Dame and Penn at The Palestra in Philadelphia on Dec. 9, 2017. (Photo by Robert Cole)

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WBB: No. 3 Notre Dame at Penn (12.09.17)

Notre Dame forward Jessica Shepard (23) attempts a jumper over Penn guard Katie Kinum (2) during the first half of a women's college basketball game at The Palestra in Philadelphia on Dec. 9, 2017. (Photo by Robert Cole)

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WBB: No. 3 Notre Dame at Penn (12.09.17)

Notre Dame guard Jackie Young (5) has her shot blocked by Penn center Eleah Parker (31) during the first half of a women's college basketball game at The Palestra in Philadelphia on Dec. 9, 2017. (Photo by Robert Cole)

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WBB: No. 3 Notre Dame at Penn (12.09.17)

Notre Dame forward Jessica Shepard (23) drives to the basket during the first half of a women's college basketball game against Penn at The Palestra in Philadelphia on Dec. 9, 2017. (Photo by Robert Cole)

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WBB: No. 3 Notre Dame at Penn (12.09.17)

Notre Dame forward Kristina Nelson (21) goes up for a layup at the end of the first quarter of a women's college basketball game against Penn at The Palestra in Philadelphia on Dec. 9, 2017. (Photo by Robert Cole)

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WBB: No. 3 Notre Dame at Penn (12.09.17)

Notre Dame guard Arike Ogunbowale (24) dribbles on the perimeter during the first half of a women's college basketball game against Penn at The Palestra in Philadelphia on Dec. 9, 2017. (Photo by Robert Cole)

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WBB: No. 3 Notre Dame at Penn (12.09.17)

Notre Dame guard Arike Ogunbowale (24) goes up for a jumper over the outstretched arm of Penn forward Princess Aghayere (50) during the first half of a women's college basketball game at The Palestra in Philadelphia on Dec. 9, 2017. (Photo by Robert Cole)

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WBB: No. 3 Notre Dame at Penn (12.09.17)

Notre Dame forward Kathryn Westbeld (33) goes up for a layup during the first half of a women's college basketball game against Penn at The Palestra in Philadelphia on Dec. 9, 2017. (Photo by Robert Cole)

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WBB: No. 3 Notre Dame at Penn (12.09.17)

Notre Dame guard Marina Mabrey (3) calls out a play during the first half of a women's college basketball game against Penn at The Palestra in Philadelphia on Dec. 9, 2017. (Photo by Robert Cole)

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WBB: No. 3 Notre Dame at Penn (12.09.17)

Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw motions to the officials during the second half of a women's college basketball game against Penn at The Palestra in Philadelphia on Dec. 9, 2017. (Photo by Robert Cole)

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WBB: No. 3 Notre Dame at Penn (12.09.17)

Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw reacts on the sidelines during the second half of a women's college basketball game against Penn at The Palestra in Philadelphia on Dec. 9, 2017. (Photo by Robert Cole)

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WBB: No. 3 Notre Dame at Penn (12.09.17)

Penn forward Michelle Nwokedi (43) drives in the lane on Notre Dame forward Jessica Shepard (23) during the second half of a women's college basketball game at The Palestra in Philadelphia on Dec. 9, 2017. (Photo by Robert Cole)

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WBB: No. 3 Notre Dame at Penn (12.09.17)

Penn guard Lauren Whitlach (right) dribbles on the perimeter in front of Notre Dame guard Lili Thompson (left) during the second half of a women's college basketball game at The Palestra in Philadelphia on Dec. 9, 2017. (Photo by Robert Cole)

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WBB: No. 3 Notre Dame at Penn (12.09.17)

Penn guard Kendall Grasela (11) attempts a half-court shot at the end of the third quarter of a women's college basketball game against Notre Dame at The Palestra in Philadelphia on Dec. 9, 2017. (Photo by Robert Cole)

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WBB: No. 3 Notre Dame at Penn (12.09.17)

Penn forward Michelle Nwokedi (43) tries to maneuver around Notre Dame forward Jessica Shepard (23) during the second half of a women's college basketball game at The Palestra in Philadelphia on Dec. 9, 2017. (Photo by Robert Cole)

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WBB: No. 3 Notre Dame at Penn (12.09.17)

Penn guard Anna Ross (10) goes up for a shot over Notre Dame guard Marina Mabrey (3) during the second half of a women's college basketball game at The Palestra in Philadelphia on Dec. 9, 2017. (Photo by Robert Cole)

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WBB: No. 3 Notre Dame at Penn (12.09.17)

Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw looks out onto the court during the second half of a women's college basketball game against Penn at The Palestra in Philadelphia on Dec. 9, 2017. (Photo by Robert Cole)

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WBB: No. 3 Notre Dame at Penn (12.09.17)

Notre Dame forward Jessica Shepard (23) blocks the shot attempt of Penn forward Michelle Nwokedi during the second half of a women's college basketball game at The Palestra in Philadelphia on Dec. 9, 2017. (Photo by Robert Cole)

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WBB: No. 3 Notre Dame at Penn (12.09.17)

Penn guard Anna Ross (10) dribbles up the court during the second half of a women's college basketball game against Notre Dame at The Palestra in Philadelphia on Dec. 9, 2017. (Photo by Robert Cole)

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