As head coach of the Notre Dame women’s basketball team, Niele Ivey has created an ecosystem of winning, love and legacy. Watch as she breaks down her formula for success in the NCAA, the importance of sisterhood in collegiate basketball and her fashion do’s and don’ts.
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00:00What's going on Essence fam, it's your girl Cherie Nicole here with the epitome of success.
00:27I know she's probably not going to like me saying that because she's super humble.
00:30But the one and only, the head coach of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, coach Nielle Ivey.
00:35And did I do all right with the intro?
00:37I tried to keep it light because I knew if I kept going down with all your accomplishments,
00:41you might not like all that.
00:42It was perfect.
00:43Okay, perfect.
00:44What's also perfect is you guys can't see it right now, but there's a banner literally
00:48right above you, which is so fun.
00:50It's your banner in the stands.
00:52When was the last time you looked at that banner and really reflected on all you've
00:55accomplished as a player here at Notre Dame?
00:59Last week when we played here, we played Louisville in our last regular season game.
01:04So before the game, I always kind of look up to see it.
01:06It gives me inspiration.
01:08And I'm always grateful when I step into this arena before we play home games.
01:12So it's our last home game.
01:14It's always just a reminder of how far I've come.
01:17What's your home game ritual?
01:18One thing you must do before every home game?
01:21I love to meditate.
01:23So I like taking time in the morning.
01:24Just having a very, very peaceful morning.
01:26I listen to gospel music and I just, sometimes I journal, but most of the time I just have
01:30like 20 minutes of just quiet time to get my mind settled and ready for the day ahead.
01:36Gotcha.
01:37So one thing that I know that you also are ready for is a fashion moment.
01:39It seems to me every time I see you on the sidelines, you just dress to the nine.
01:44We did a lot of looks today for the shoot, and I know that fashion is a passion point
01:48for you.
01:49Favorite look of the day and why?
01:51There were so many amazing looks today, I will say.
01:55I loved the look.
01:57It was a black crocodile type leather pant with like a black boot, long boot.
02:03And then it was a white collared top with like a maroon tie and like a black bomber
02:10jacket.
02:11That was my favorite look.
02:12I just felt very boss mode, but with elegance and class.
02:17It was very sharp.
02:18That was my favorite look.
02:20So you told me before the camera started rolling, guys, there's a very cool aspect to the building
02:24that we shot in.
02:25So you say you used to take classes in that building?
02:27I did.
02:28So that was one of our underclassmen, undergraduate academic buildings, and it's arts and letters.
02:34So I took a lot of my history classes, sociology, psychology, theology.
02:40So that was a space that I was in a lot as a student athlete here.
02:43So coach, you had a lot of ologies going on in your undergrad experience.
02:48I probably would have failed every single one of them or fell asleep in class.
02:51What drew you to history?
02:52Why did you want to be a history major?
02:54I love just writing and essays and just curious about history, and I thought this was a great
03:02avenue for me to step into.
03:03I also was really interested in education, so I thought that would be a nice major that
03:08kind of connected with education.
03:09I was thinking about being a teacher.
03:13My life has taught me that mentoring was the avenue, which is very similar to education.
03:19I feel like I'm teaching these young women a lot with this coaching world.
03:23Coaches are teachers.
03:24They are.
03:25And I was talking to CO, Carol Owens, associate head coach.
03:29There you go.
03:30Associate head coach.
03:31And I was interviewing her about you, and she was saying that one of the things that
03:33people really need to understand about you is you are amazing with the Xs and the Os.
03:38And so as a strategist, per se, what's been your approach?
03:42What's your mindset when you go into a practice or into a game?
03:46Mindset-wise, game-wise, I just want to make sure that I have scenarios prepared just in
03:51case, in the game, late game situations.
03:54I love learning and studying, and I studied a lot.
03:57I studied under Coach McGraw and then went to the NBA, studied the Memphis Grizzlies,
04:02and my son plays for the Pistons, so I've studied a couple of the coaches that they
04:06have.
04:08Different pieces of the Xs and Os and tried to incorporate that with our team, but I'm
04:14always just trying to over-prepare for any type of situation that might occur.
04:19Yeah.
04:20Okay, so you have two stances I noticed when I was at practice and when I watch on TV.
04:25It's this, and it's the usher, like usher at church behind the back here.
04:30Do they mean anything different or do they mean the same thing?
04:33What is going on in your mind when we're doing this?
04:35Let's start here.
04:36When I have my arms crossed, what's happening?
04:37I'm curious.
04:38What's happening?
04:39What's going on?
04:40I think I'm more stern.
04:41Okay.
04:42I feel like I'm more, like what's going on on the court, I'm more stern with that.
04:49More engaged, that might be with the officials or what we're doing on the offensive end or
04:54defensive end.
04:55A little bit more poised when my arms are back, I'm trying to be-
04:58So church usher, you're just relaxed.
04:59Yeah, trying to get more, not getting too high or too low with what's going on in the
05:03game, but I think I'm more stern when I have my arms crossed.
05:07I'm starting to get very passionate, depending on hopefully that's a high passion or trying
05:12to make sure that the team is where they need to be.
05:15What takes you to a high point in a game?
05:21Just the ebbs and flows.
05:22It's a game of runs.
05:25Sometimes the excitement of we're going on a run and I feel the energy shifting in a
05:31positive way for us.
05:32Then the other way is the game is slipping and I don't feel like we're trending in the
05:40right direction in whatever case may be.
05:43Those are sometimes where my energy is elevated.
05:46I like to celebrate the girls a lot though.
05:48You do, which I love.
05:49I love that.
05:50You're a player's coach.
05:51Yeah, when they do something spectacular, I'm meeting them halfway, almost like I'm
05:54on the team, dabbing them up and encouraging them.
05:58I get excited when they make great plays.
06:01They allow me to coach them, so it's fun.
06:04Your favorite part about coaching, and I know we talked about this a little bit off camera,
06:08but there's a special trait you have and I'm glad you mentioned about how you seemingly
06:15almost in the game.
06:16When I was watching you even in practice earlier, I'm like, the way that you talk to your team,
06:20it's a different energy behind it.
06:22Your energy is very reassuring.
06:24It's composed.
06:25It's also, I'm serious.
06:26I mean, what I'm saying is intentional.
06:28How do you manage that?
06:30What does it mean for you to feel, for your players to respect just your approach?
06:33Because sometimes that can be taken for granted as well.
06:35Absolutely.
06:36I think they know that I'm very passionate and they know that I'm very intense.
06:41I feel like they feed off of that energy.
06:43Every team is different, but I know this team and I know that if they need an extra push,
06:49they can do it for themselves, but I know it is well-received when I do it.
06:54That could be in the locker room and I'm coming out with that high energy, a pregame talk,
07:00but I try to meet them where I think they need me to be, but I'm very, very intense.
07:05I feel the game.
07:07When you can't play and I can't facilitate, the way that I feel like I'm engaged with
07:12the team is like I'm going down the sidelines or I'm, again, meeting my half court or in
07:17the timeouts, I'm really expressing how I feel because I feel like that lifts them and
07:24sometimes it encourages them in the times where I think they need an extra push.
07:29I want to know, because you talked about making them feel the love and your intention,
07:34how did you feel today with having all of this attention on you?
07:38When was the last time an entire group of people was totally focused on you?
07:43This was my first time and I appreciate it.
07:47I want to thank you and thank the team because you made me feel really comfortable.
07:52It was a lot of fun.
07:54I got a chance to play with fashion.
07:57I have a great glam team, so I have a powerful group of women that are behind the scenes
08:03making me look beautiful.
08:05It just feels empowering.
08:07I felt empowered today.
08:08I felt confident.
08:10Everybody that was on the set really encouraged me, made me feel at home.
08:16I'm hoping that it comes off the way that I felt.
08:18I felt very confident, very powerful, and that's the way I love to feel in games.
08:23It felt very special to have a special moment where I get a chance to showcase my personality
08:30in powerful clothing on this type of stage.
08:34What does Essence mean to you?
08:36What has it meant to you, or at least the legacy of Essence magazine?
08:40So much.
08:41It's something I've always been inspired by.
08:44The strong women that are on the magazine, strong, powerful individuals that are successful.
08:51It means excellence.
08:53The tradition of Essence is something that's been a staple in my home.
08:58I always went to the store to grab the new Essence magazine and see who was on the cover.
09:03Again, finding inspiration through either pictures, imagery, or stories of people that
09:11I look up to.
09:14This is such an honor for me, because having such a staple, such an incredible brand represent
09:21me, and I represent Notre Dame, and I represent women's basketball.
09:25It's really powerful.
09:26I know this is a secret for my mom, and I can't wait for her to see it, because my mom
09:31doesn't know.
09:32Oh my goodness.
09:33This is going to be something where I can show her.
09:34She's just going to cry, just because, again, it's a tradition of excellence.
09:44It's very powerful.
09:45To be a part, a small part of this tradition, this company, this organization is very powerful.
09:54I'm really grateful.
09:55Yeah.
09:56Well, it's our honor.
09:57One of the traditions that I'm grateful people like yourself are actually breaking us out
10:01of is we're seeing a lot more black female head coaches and assistant coaches.
10:08For you, just with all the success that you've attained, what is the importance of creating
10:12community and sisterhood amongst you all, like the black coaches, whether it's assistant
10:17coaches or head coaches in the NCAA?
10:21It's really major, and I would credit Dawn Staley for setting that example.
10:26I know she credits Carolyn Peck.
10:29There's so many lines of strong black women in this business that have done a great job
10:34of paying it forward, like you mentioned earlier, trying to grow the game, but also growing
10:41successful coaches.
10:44I'm fortunate.
10:45Your old coach, Carol Owens, she recruited me here at Notre Dame, and she's been a part
10:50of my journey since 96.
10:52We've been a part of all nine Final Fours together, and then she was the first person
10:55I called when I got this job, because I wanted her to be here to help me.
11:00She has a lot of wisdom and a lot of guidance.
11:03She's helped me, mentored me, and Coquise Washington, another black head coach at Rutgers.
11:10That's what I want to do now, because those mentors helped me pave the way and have inspired
11:16me.
11:17People that I can pick up the phone on days where I just need to talk and I need help
11:22or the days that are challenging, I can pick up the phone and call multiple successful
11:29women.
11:30Dawn is somebody that she texts me after sometimes hard losses, or she texts me after big wins.
11:36Both of us are in this business.
11:37We're both competitive.
11:39The fact that she puts that aside to empower me, I think it speaks volumes.
11:44For me, I'm hoping that I can continue that tradition of passing down knowledge and helping
11:51somebody, bring somebody along the way.
11:54I know there's a lot of young coaches that played like I did and have aspirations to
12:01be a head coach and assistant coach, successful assistant coaches.
12:05My job is to help pay it forward for them, because I had so many people that helped me
12:10get to this seat.
12:11I always recognize that, because you can't do this alone.
12:14You have to have a strong network, and I have had an incredibly strong network behind me
12:20to help me get here.
12:21What's the best piece of advice you've ever received?
12:24I would say for being a head coach is to be myself, to be genuine, and not to allow all
12:31the factors that go along with coaching, because there's a lot.
12:34They always talk about it's 90% everything else and 10% basketball.
12:38I learned that when I took this role, but to be myself, because I think being myself,
12:44my authentic self is one of the best versions of myself.
12:48Coming in with that St. Louis energy, coming in with that tomboy energy.
12:53I'm super competitive.
12:55I love hard.
12:57I'm a family person.
12:59I have a strong faith, and I'm a mother.
13:02I try to bring all those aspects of myself into this profession and being relatable.
13:10That spoke volumes to me, because I didn't want to get into this role and feel like I
13:13need to be someone else and want to change.
13:16I can't be Coach McGraw, who was here before me.
13:18I can only be myself.
13:19That's why I've tried to be authentic and transparent in who I am.
13:23I think it's been shining through, I just got to say.
13:26It's interesting how you are totally connected to who you are and who you want to be perceived
13:33as and set the great example you do.
13:36It's interesting to me, because we live in this world of NIL now, the transfer portal.
13:41Jobs being on the line looks a little different with all of these different things going on.
13:44When you think about not only the success you've had, but the challenge and just making
13:47sure stability-wise you can stay put, how are you managing this new era of collegiate
13:53basketball?
13:55I've had to adjust.
13:56My first year was COVID.
13:58We started in late November after Thanksgiving, no fans.
14:03My press conference when I got the job was via Zoom.
14:08It was totally different that year for me.
14:10The uncertainty and the unknown was really hard.
14:13Then my second year was NIL and transfer portal.
14:16Honestly, I just created a great staff around me.
14:18I'm fortunate that I've been a part of an incredible family here at Notre Dame.
14:23The resources that I have here are very strong.
14:26I have an incredible alumni base.
14:28I have a lot of support here.
14:31That's what's getting me through.
14:33I think you have to adjust.
14:35You have to be a great recruiter, but you have to understand that you have to adjust
14:38with the times.
14:39We have to make sure that we are competitive in the NIL space and make sure that we are,
14:45along with all the top 10 organizations and the top 10 institutions, you have to be competitive.
14:54We're trying to make sure that here at Notre Dame, and they do a great job of making sure
14:58that we have the right resources and we're competitive in that space, but you got to
15:01adjust.
15:02This is different.
15:03This is not like in 96 when I came out of college, when you talk about social media.
15:08We have a house settlement that's coming up next season, next year, NCAA house settlement.
15:13You have to be on edge and you have to make sure that you are prepared to adjust with the times.
15:20One of the things that's also changed, and I'm grateful for it, the fandom for women's
15:24basketball in general just has exploded in recent years.
15:27You're also part of what ushered in that explosion.
15:30I know you're probably not going to agree with me because you're just so humble, but
15:33it's the truth.
15:34What do you make of that in light of what you just said?
15:37But also, there's just so much excitement around this beautiful game.
15:41What is your take on that and how proud are you of just even your team and the teams you've
15:45coached kind of helping also to usher in this new wave of excitement?
15:48Yeah.
15:49I'm so fortunate to be a part of this new wave.
15:51It started a couple of years ago.
15:53I think Angel Reese, Kaitlyn Clark, they were kind of the staples in that time where everybody
15:59tuned in.
16:00Basketball, the product, just was amazing, and it still is, and it's growing.
16:05To see the respect that women's basketball is receiving, especially being a former athlete,
16:10it's amazing because we all knew how strong, and how powerful, and how successful, and
16:14how talented women in athletics, and in sports, and especially basketball, have been for the
16:19decades.
16:20Yes.
16:21Now, we're on this stage, and we're growing, and we're continuing to grow.
16:24The fan base is larger.
16:28We've had the most sold out games here in Notre Dame in the history of this program,
16:32and I just love being a part of it.
16:35I was fortunate to be a student athlete, to kind of be a pioneer initially, and now it's
16:40kind of like, I love the rise, I love the respect, I love the support, I'm grateful.
16:47Our women are in commercials, we're on the cover of Slam Magazine, we have Game Out
16:54USC, there's Michael B. Jordan and Snoop Dogg at the games, Juju Watkins, Hannah Hidalgo
16:58now from my team, it's just amazing to see the rise of the support.
17:04WNBA, it's explosion, WNBA.
17:07Unrivaled now in off-season, there's so many eyes on our game, and I just want it to increase,
17:13and I'm excited for where women's basketball is right now, and where it's going to go.
17:18Yeah, I'm really excited for you guys.
17:21I think this tournament's going to be very special for you all, and I was in my feelings
17:26a little bit, y'all, because you all lost three out of the last five games of the season.
17:31I was at home with anxiety, but I know, I know.
17:34You're bringing me good energy.
17:35Oh yeah, we're turning this thing around.
17:38And thinking about just the season you all have had, again, a historic run, you had a
17:41great run, and despite that, you guys bounced back, and I know you will continue to do that,
17:46but in light of just the regular season, and as we move now into the most special part
17:49of any NCAA season, and that's March Madness time, the tournament's here, where are you
17:56sitting as a coach, where do you think your players are sitting, and how excited are you
18:01to be able to embark on this journey this year?
18:04I'm just gratitude, I'm sitting with a lot of gratitude, because we're in our, you know,
18:09this is our fourth season now, and we have a great opportunity, it's 0-0 again, and just
18:16taking advantage of every moment, not looking too far, it's 40 minutes, again, like I said,
18:21it's a brand new season, but you have to go in with that mindset that you have to be great
18:25for 40 minutes, and so that's where we are, I gave them a lot of time off.
18:30I heard like four days off?
18:31Four days off, just to reset.
18:33Hold on, you all, let me tell you something, that is a basketball player's dream in college,
18:38to get four straight days off, and it's not a holiday?
18:42Or spring break?
18:43Or spring break, coach of the year.
18:44I don't know if they think that, but no, I feel like everyone needs that reset, you know,
18:50you need that time away, rest your bodies, your mind, it's a long season, and now we're
18:54headed to one of the most important seasons, so gave them that time off, we've had a couple
18:59days of amazing practice, just recentering ourselves into working on those habits, fundamentals,
19:04and try to take care of business one game at a time.
19:07What's one thing you all must do to go all the way this year?
19:12Yeah, I think defensively having that defensive mindset, because as they always say, defense
19:16wins championships, but March Madness is crazy, it's called Madness for a reason, so you can
19:22have, it does not matter, you're seeding, you have to come out and you have to have
19:27that aggressive defensive mindset to take on that challenge, because at any given moment,
19:32any team can be successful, so you want to be on the other end, defensively having that
19:37mindset.
19:38Who's on your Mount Rushmore of, which is four people, I believe, four people, Mount
19:42Rushmore, top women's basketball players ever, who's your GOATs, top four?
19:47Ooh, Cheryl Swoops, Cynthia Cooper, Lisa Leslie, and I'm going to say Dawn Staley, because
19:56I'm a point guard, so she was somebody that I definitely admired and looked up to.
20:02Okay, let's switch gears and play a game, it's called Blow the Whistle, okay?
20:06If you're not feeling it, you're just blowing the whistle, if you're good, we can keep playing,
20:10we don't have to blow the whistle.
20:11So the first one is, let's see, let me think here, cold calls, if someone cold calls you,
20:19blow the whistle or are we going to keep playing?
20:21I'm blowing the whistle, cold calls?
20:23Me too, I can't stand a cold call.
20:25It's scam-likely, I don't know who this is, I'm blowing the whistle.
20:32What if you know who it is, but you're not expecting a call from them?
20:35Ooh, I guess it depends on where I'm at, time of day, I'm like, okay, maybe I could call
20:40that person back, but sometimes I'm like, I need to have that on the schedule, I'm with
20:46you on that.
20:47We agree there, okay, next one, white after Labor Day, blow the whistle or are we going
20:52to keep playing?
20:53I'm keeping playing.
20:55I never kind of go by those rules.
20:58Okay, you know, I'm not as daring, I don't mind it, I don't like rules like that, I don't
21:07think they're fair, we should be able to wear our clothes as long as we would like, but
21:11I do feel self-conscious, if I leave out the door and it's like fall and I have on white,
21:15I feel like I might get judged.
21:17And I don't normally do it, but I guess if I wanted to, I would, that's why I said I'll
21:23keep playing on that.
21:24But if I'm on vacation, I'm going to wear my all white or something like that.
21:28Okay, speaking of vacation, blow the whistle or not, and we talked a little bit about this
21:32earlier, vacationing in a cold climate.
21:38Blowing the whistle.
21:40I live in the Midwest, I've lived in the Midwest all my life, so I would not choose to go to
21:47Colorado or, you know, no, I'm skiing here.
21:53So, no, I'm going to a beach, I'm going somewhere warm, so I'm blowing the whistle on that.
21:58Okay.
21:59Fast food, are we blowing the whistle or are we going to keep playing?
22:01Blowing the whistle.
22:02Okay.
22:03In my later years, I've been more self-conscious about my nutrition, so I try to stay away
22:07from fast food.
22:08No Chick-fil-A?
22:09I love Chick-fil-A fries though, I'm not going to lie, I'm keep playing on the Chick-fil-A.
22:14Everything else, we're blowing the whistle.
22:15Chick-fil-A, yeah, because I'm not eating meat right now, so I don't eat chicken or
22:18red meat, so I will eat the fries though.
22:21I love fries.
22:22I love fries too.
22:23Monochromatic outfit, everything is pretty much the same color.
22:27Blow the whistle or are we going to keep playing?
22:29Keep playing.
22:30I love monochromatic.
22:31If you see a lot of my looks, it just, I don't know why, I just, I feel strong in it.
22:35I just love, I just love, even like this, I love it, and that's not all the way monochromatic,
22:40but I love it.
22:41Yeah, it is kind of matchy-matchy, but just a little bit of a pop of color.
22:43I love monochromatic.
22:44I've been a big fan the last couple of years.
22:47Okay.
22:48Okay.
22:50Giving yourself a compliment.
22:54Blow on the whistle or are we going to keep playing?
22:58Blow on the whistle.
22:59Come on.
23:00Although I knew you were going to say that.
23:03Blow on the whistle.
23:04I mean, I have my self-affirmations again.
23:07I need to, I can, I can be better.
23:09When was the last time you complimented yourself?
23:14Not related to anybody else, just you yourself.
23:18Probably a long time ago.
23:21Would you like to give yourself a compliment today so we can catch up on time?
23:26Catch up on time.
23:27Sure.
23:28I was, I will say maybe like, when I go through things, I'm like, you got this.
23:33I'll tell myself, you got this.
23:34Like.
23:35Nope.
23:36That doesn't count.
23:37That's encouragement.
23:38That's not a compliment.
23:39Oh, okay.
23:40Compliment.
23:41I'm going to compliment myself.
23:42So it's probably been a long time.
23:43Yes.
23:44This is a great exercise.
23:45This is a great exercise.
23:47You are strong and powerful.
23:50That you are.
23:51Well guys, thank you all so much for hanging out with me again for another edition of Essence
24:04Black Women in Sports.
24:05Make sure you check out all the cool things Coach Ivy is doing.
24:07I don't know how much she sits on social media, but you need to check her out anyway.
24:11You also need to check out the Fighting Irish in this year's NCAA tournament.
24:16It's going to be incredible.
24:17And of course, I'm on their side.
24:19We're taking it all the way.
24:20We're going to the ship.
24:22Until next time, see you guys around.