Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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58 AUGUST 2018 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED ND SPORTS BY DAVID MCKINNEY M ultiple Notre Dame sports teams hired new head coaches this off‑ season, including men's and wom‑ en's soccer, track and field, women's tennis and volleyball. On Feb. 20, the women's soccer team announced that Nate Norman, a former Irish men's soccer player and women's assistant since last fall, would take over for former head coach Theresa Romagnolo, who re‑ signed following the 2017 season af‑ ter four years in South Bend. Before joining the staff at Notre Dame, Norman spent one season as head coach at Liberty, where he led the Flames to a 14‑8 record (7‑2 in league play) and a Big South Tourna‑ ment championship. Norman said ending up back in South Bend was surreal for him. "Being named head coach at your alma mater, especially at a place that did so much for me, is certainly a dream come true," Norman said. "It's always been my dream job to come back and coach here." The Notre Dame men's soccer team lost its coach following the 2017 sea‑ son as well, when Bobby Clark re‑ tired after 17 seasons at Notre Dame that featured 216 victories and the national championship in 2013. Following Clark's retirement, Notre Dame hired Chad Riley, who was coaching at Dartmouth at the time after spending his col‑ lege career playing at Notre Dame (2000‑03) In five seasons at Dart‑ mouth, Riley com‑ piled a 51‑26 record and captured four straight Ivy League titles (2014‑17). "My wife and I are excited to come home, not only to Notre Dame, but to the South Bend com‑ munity," Riley said. "This is our home and we look forward to getting back involved with this wonderful community." On June 15, Notre Dame volleyball head coach Jim McLaughlin resigned after three seasons in South Bend due to health reasons. Irish associate head coach Mike Johnson was named McLaugh‑ lin's successor immediately, and took over full coaching duties July 1. Johnson said while he was sad‑ dened to see McLaughlin go, he's ex‑ cited to build on what the Irish have accomplished the past three seasons. "Moving forward, our staff will work tirelessly toward the end of mak‑ ing Notre Dame one of the premier volleyball programs in the country," Johnson said. "In doing so, we will not only honor Notre Dame but also Jim himself." On July 6, Notre Dame announced that Matt Sparks, an assis‑ tant coach for the past four years, had been promoted to head coach of Notre Dame track and field. Dur‑ ing his four years as an assistant for the Irish, Sparks worked primar‑ ily with the women's teams in both track and field and cross country. After his first four s e a s o n s i n S o u t h Bend, Sparks said he never wants to work anywhere else. "Growing up in Indi‑ ana, I have long felt that Notre Dame has always been a place of storied tradition," he said. "Having now spent four years at Notre Dame, this place is even more special to me. I now fully understand the tremendous pride felt for Notre Dame by students and the alumni of this university." On the same day of Sparks' promo‑ tion, Notre Dame likewise announced the hiring of women's tennis coach Alison Silverio, who was an NCAA tennis champion at Georgia Tech. Silverio left Georgia Tech as the program's all‑time leader in doubles wins (98), and also ranked second in singles wins (107) and fourth in singles winning percentage (.711). Prior to being hired by Notre Dame, Silverio spent four seasons as the head coach at Oregon, where she led the Ducks to their first NCAA Tourna‑ ment appearance (2016) in 10 years. IRISH ATHLETES EXCEL IN THE CLASSROOM The ACC announced its 62nd an‑ nual academic honor roll June 6, and Notre Dame had 434 student‑athletes make the list, trailing only Duke (493) for top honors in the league. The ACC Honor Roll is comprised of student‑athletes who participated in a varsity‑level sport and registered a grade point average of 3.0 or better for the full academic year. ✦ Fighting Irish Welcome Several New Coaches New women's soccer head coach Nate Norman played collegiately at Notre Dame, and led Liberty to a 14-8 record and a Big South Tournament champion- ship as the head coach in 2016 before he became an Irish assistant last year. PHOTO COURTESY FIGHTING IRISH MEDIA Irish Roundup FENCING After leading Notre Dame to its second straight national championship, fencing coach Gia Kvaratskhe- lia was named National Coach of the Year by the United States Fencing Coaches Association. During his four seasons at Notre Dame, Kvaratskhelia has led Notre Dame to six ACC championships (three men's and three women's), in addition to national titles in 2017 and 2018. The back-to-back titles for Notre Dame marked the first time the program won two straight since 1977-78. WOMEN'S SOCCER Former Notre Dame soccer standout Monica Flores has signed a deal to play professionally with Valencia Club De Futbol in Valencia, Spain. During her senior campaign in 2017, Flores totaled seven points on one goal and five assists. SWIMMING AND DIVING In the first edition of the upcoming ACC/Big Ten Challenge this November, Notre Dame swimming and diving head coach Mike Litzinger will serve as a men's assistant coach for the ACC. Litzinger will assist North Carolina State's Braden Holloway with the coaching for the ACC men's all- stars during the challenge meet. — David McKinney