Coach Muffet McGraw's Notre Dame women's basketball team faced a
critical moment in the 1997 NCAA Tournament, when the Irish were
playing at perennial national power Texas in the Sweet 16, and the
Longhorns' faithful were bellow-ing at full strength.
"It was a very hostile environment, huge crowd, and at the time it
was the biggest game we ever played in, because we had never been to
the Final Four," McGraw said.
Beth Morgan, now known as Beth Cunningham, took over for the Irish,
turning a heavily favored Texas team into burnt orange, and silencing
a hostile environment.
"She was coaching on the floor," McGraw said of Cunningham in that
milestone game for the Irish. "It was so loud, the players couldn't
hear what we were running, so Beth took over game management. Late in
the game, we were in the huddle, talking about match-ups. Beth was the
one who said which Texas player would be shooting and who should guard
her. That's when I said, 'this girl's got a future in coaching.'"
Cunningham's future took her to Virginia Commonwealth University,
where she has been the head coach for the past nine seasons.
Now, Cunningham is returning to Notre Dame to be an assistant coach
critical moment in the 1997 NCAA Tournament, when the Irish were
playing at perennial national power Texas in the Sweet 16, and the
Longhorns' faithful were bellow-ing at full strength.
"It was a very hostile environment, huge crowd, and at the time it
was the biggest game we ever played in, because we had never been to
the Final Four," McGraw said.
Beth Morgan, now known as Beth Cunningham, took over for the Irish,
turning a heavily favored Texas team into burnt orange, and silencing
a hostile environment.
"She was coaching on the floor," McGraw said of Cunningham in that
milestone game for the Irish. "It was so loud, the players couldn't
hear what we were running, so Beth took over game management. Late in
the game, we were in the huddle, talking about match-ups. Beth was the
one who said which Texas player would be shooting and who should guard
her. That's when I said, 'this girl's got a future in coaching.'"
Cunningham's future took her to Virginia Commonwealth University,
where she has been the head coach for the past nine seasons.
Now, Cunningham is returning to Notre Dame to be an assistant coach
