Mike Brey on Atlanta Hawks, Notre Dame, and Coach K | Shane Brey's 360 Hoops
Why would a coach turn down an SEC job and choose a smaller program instead?
Mike Brey joins Nick Elam to share the career decisions, mentors, and leadership lessons behind his journey through Duke, Delaware, Notre Dame, and the Atlanta Hawks. Then Shane Brey explains how 360 Hoops grew from a solution to crowded basketball camps into a new game designed to get more kids involved.
What You'll Learn:
• How to evaluate a career opportunity beyond its prestige, using Mike’s decision to choose Delaware over Auburn
• Why listening, teaching, and giving people confidence are central to Mike’s coaching philosophy
• How Mike built basketball support at Notre Dame and helped assistant coaches prepare for leadership roles
• What Mike learned moving from college basketball to the NBA and experiencing the Elam Ending as a broadcaster
• How 360 Hoops uses three baskets, required passing, and rotating teams to encourage movement and participation
Chapters & Timestamps:
00:00 Introducing Mike Brey, 360 Hoops, and this episode’s sports stories
01:11 Mike’s transition to the NBA and his role with the Atlanta Hawks
10:21 Coaching as teaching, listening, and building confidence
19:36 Choosing Delaware over Auburn and finding the right career fit
30:36 Empowering assistant coaches and supporting their career growth
35:25 Shane Brey explains 360 Hoops and its journey from idea to implementation
54:55 Unlayered: Accountability, rehabilitation, and returning to work
01:01:11 Next to Last: Jim Edmonds’ walk-off in Game 6 of the 2004 NLCS
Meet The Guests:
Mike Brey is Notre Dame’s all-time winningest men’s basketball coach and the 2011 AP National Coach of the Year. His career includes DeMatha High School, Duke, Delaware, Notre Dame, and the Atlanta Hawks.
Shane Brey is the co-founder and inventor of 360 Hoops, a three-basket basketball system and circular game format developed to give more players opportunities to participate.
Ideas & Concepts Mentioned:
360 Hoops: A circular basketball game with three baskets, three passes required before shooting, and three teams rotating through offense, defense, and a waiting position.
Elam Ending: Nick Elam’s target-score basketball ending, which Mike discusses through his experience broadcasting The Basketball Tournament.
Unlayered: Nick’s approach to examining the underlying questions behind sports-media debates. This episode explores accountability and rehabilitation following Tony Romo’s departure from CBS.
Next to Last: A look at overlooked moments in sports history, featuring the Cardinals–Astros Game 6 that helped set up the 2004 World Series.
Mike’s career and Shane’s innovation share a useful lesson: progress depends on understanding the people involved, listening carefully, and giving an idea room to develop.
