Breaking Up is Not Hard to Do: The Micah Shrewsberry Era
- Erich Pilcher
- 22 hours ago
- 3 min read
Toxic Relationships. It is safe to assume we are all familiar with them. Either we have been in them, or we are close acquaintances with someone who has been in one. That would make us good friends, leaning on our friends to rid themselves of the toxicity that could ruin them.
In this situation, that is me. I’m the good friend imploring, begging that Notre Dame and by proxy, its athletic department, end a toxic relationship.
That is one with Men’s Head Basketball Coach, Micah Shrewsberry.
When Shrewsberry was hired in 2023, he had the unenviable task of replacing legendary coach Mike Brey, who resigned following the 2022-2023 season. Brey had 483 career wins at Notre Dame (the most in school history) and a career winning percentage of .663 (second to Digger Phelps, .666). In 23 seasons, Brey qualified for the postseason 18 times. (five appearances in the National Invitational Tournament and 13 appearances in the NCAA Tournament). This includes back-to-back Elite Eight appearances in 2015 and 2016.
Meanwhile, Micah Shrewsberry had found some success at Penn State University. It was his leading the Nittany Lions to their first NCAA Tournament win in 22 years that made him a prime candidate to lead the Irish. It was assumed he could replicate it at Notre Dame. Given the greater resources available in South Bend for basketball, it is safe to say this was a ballyhooed hire. Results have produced a different story.
In three seasons of leading the Irish, Shrewsberry has a paltry record of 41-56 (.423 winning percentage). His Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) record is much worse at 19-39 (.368). Records and winning percentage aside, there have been numerous embarrassments. Home losses to The Citadel (2023-24 season), Elon (2024-25 season), and Purdue-Fort Wayne (2025-26 season) have fueled the bottom-feeder status the Men’s Basketball program is stuck in.
The most egregious embarrassment came this season. Basketball blue blood, the Duke Blue Devils visited Purcell Pavilion, a place that has been home to some of the greatest upsets in college basketball history, and the site of the biggest blemish in the school's history.
Purcell was rocking, thirsting for an upset, nationally televised on ESPN. Everything was ripe for upsetting the dominant Blue Devils. That ripe, upset fruit soon turned rotten. Duke dominated the listless, uninspired Irish. This led to the biggest beatdown in school history (44 points), a 100-56 behind-the-woodshed thrashing that wasn’t even as close as the final score would dictate.
Despite the doom and gloom projected here, it could be excused if there were some forms of marked improvement. Shrewsberry is 0-11 versus ranked opponents while leading the Irish. The team’s average offensive rating over Shrewsberry’s regime is 105.24, and the team’s defensive rating isn’t much better, coming in at 107.2 (both are out of 365 schools). Their average finish in the ACC has been 12th place (this year, they finished 16th and did not qualify for the ACC Tournament).
Now, the ACC is a gauntlet; it is arguably the most prestigious basketball conference. But the last three years with no marked improvement is disparaging when players such as JJ Starling (transferred), Cary Booth (transferred), Markus Burton (injured for most of this season), Cole Certa, and Jalen Haralson have come through South Bend. The team plays without fundamentals and discipline. This is indicative of the toxicity emanating from the top.
Notre Dame, the time is now. This toxic relationship must end. For such an esteemed athletic and academic institution, these embarrassments cannot continue. Please, for you and for all who support you, it is time to tell Shrewsberry: it’s not us; it is you.
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