Notre Dame assistant Ingelsby to lead Delaware men’s hoops [video]

UD has hired former Notre Dame assistant coach Martin Ingelsby to take over the Blue Hens men’s basketball team.

Former University of Notre Dame assistant head coach, Martin Ingelsby, will take over coaching duties from Delaware’s previous head coach, Monte Ross, who was fired from UD back in March.

Ingelsby, a 37-year-old Philadelphia native, has served under Mike Brey at Notre Dame for the last thirteen years.

During a press conference at the Bob Carpenter Center on the University of Delaware campus, Ingelsby said that he was, “…excited about the process of developing young players and wants players to have fun and to smile.”

Introducing Ingelsby to UD were incoming University President Dennis Assanis and the Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation Services, Christine Rawak. Assanis and Rawak are each relatively new to the university, which is one reason why there was some delay in bringing in a new men’s basketball coach.

Rawak expressed great enthusiasm in hiring Ingelsby, knowing the Notre Dame team had a very talented and reputed basketball program. Rawak joked about being an alumni of the University of Michigan and hiring someone from Notre Dame, both schools are notorious rivals.

Ingelsby’s task could be a challenge since UD only has nine scholarship players left on the roster, with several of those transferring to other universities. However, bringing in a young coach to take over an equally young roster and a developing program could pay dividends for the university.

Ingelsby highlighted his enthusiasm for scouting local basketball players and helping them develop as athletes. “It’s an area that I have connections to be an incredibly successful recruiter, an advocate for this basketball program,” Ingelsby said. “We will develop highly competitive high-character student-athletes that strive to be successful in the classroom and on the basketball court.”

Ingelsby had a hard time singling out specific people to thank, but Mike Brey’s name stood out. Head coach of Notre Dame, and former coach of UD’s men’s program for five years, Brey ties together Ingelsby’s connection with the community, the University of Delaware, and his credentials as a basketball coach.