When the Buckeyes take on top-seeded Notre Dame in the Sweet 16 on Friday evening, it will be arguably the biggest game Ohio State coach Kevin McGuff has ever coached.
Now in his fourth season in Columbus, McGuff faces a top-seeded opponent led by a legendary head coach in a do-or-die game with a chance to bring Ohio State its first Elite Eight since 1993.
A win would be undoubtedly huge for the young head coach, but it would be bittersweet all the same, as it would come against a program close to his heart.
McGuff began his coaching career at Miami University where he served as an assistant under head coach Lisa Bradley for two years, after which he was offered a position at Notre Dame — an event he says changed his life.
At Notre Dame, McGuff was an assistant under legendary head coach Muffet McGraw where he helped the Irish to two Final Four appearances and the program's first national title. McGuff said of all the things he learned and observed under McGraw, it was her ability to run a program that stood out to him.
“It’s really a shame because I want to be cheering them on and, obviously, I’m not going to be cheering them on.”– Muffet McGraw
"She does that as well as anyone in the country," McGuff said. "Just the organization and the structure as far as how things work, how to treat people well and what you get in return. She was great to work for and had high expectations, which is an environment that I wanted to work in, but also allowed her assistants to do their jobs and to really impact the program."
McGuff stayed at Notre Dame for six years until he took his first head coaching job at Xavier in 2002. He then took a job at Washington in 2011 before arriving in Columbus in 2013.
Notre Dame was the launching pad of McGuff's coaching career. But the ties to the school are a little deeper and more personal than that; it is also where he met his wife, Letitia.
Letitia Bowen was a four-year starter at Notre Dame from 1991-95 and was one of the best to ever play for the Irish. She ranks second on the school's career rebounding and rebound average lists, eighth in career blocks, and 13th in all-time scoring. She returned to Notre Dame as part of the coaching staff in 1999, where she stayed for six years and met McGuff.
McGuff is confident his team has his wife's support when the ball is tipped at 7 p.m. on Friday, even if it means she has to root against her alma mater.
“She’ll be pulling for us," McGuff said with a laugh. "Obviously, that program means a lot to her as well but she’ll certainly be pulling for us. Fair question, though.”
Once a mentor to both Kevin and Letitia, McGraw is now a close friend of the McGuff family and in any other situation would be cheering hard for the Buckeyes.
“I hate to have to play against one of my assistants or one of my friends," McGraw said in a Notre Dame release. "It’s hard with Letitia there and all their kids. It’s really a shame because I want to be cheering them on and, obviously, I’m not going to be cheering them on.”
Both coaches will be fighting hard for an Elite Eight bid on Friday night, but when the final buzzer sounds, the loser will be a little less disheartened and the winner a little less jubilant.
"It’s tough to go against people you care about," McGuff said. "But it’ll be an exciting game and a great opportunity for us.”
