As Notre Dame has navigated, or half-navigated, its way through the new world of the ACC, Mike Brey – born in the heart of the footprint, Maryland fan growing up, Duke assistant as an adult – has served as a sort of spirit guide for fans unfamiliar with the ways of the conference.
That includes football fans used to Notre Dame’s traditional opponents – Navy, Southern Cal, Michigan, Michigan State – who may only have a decent handle on the few ACC teams who used to show up regularly on Notre Dame’s schedule, like Boston College and Miami.