Report Says Phelps Will Resign at Notre Dame Today

Notre Dame officials say there are no plans for a news conference at the school today despite a published report that Digger Phelps will resign as basketball coach.

The New York Daily News reported in its Sunday editions that Phelps would announce his resignation at the South Bend campus after 20 years with the Fighting Irish. The News cited “a trusted college basketball source familiar with Notre Dame basketball.”

There has been speculation for months concerning the status of Phelps, whose Irish were a disappointing 12-20 last season. During the Big East tournament and the NCAA tournament, there were other reports that Phelps had coached his last game at Notre Dame.

Notre Dame officials on Sunday said they were unaware of a news conference at the school regarding Phelps’ status.

“If there’s an announcement pending, I don’t know anything about it,” school spokesman John Heisler said Sunday. “I haven’t talked to Digger since last week. But this is not the first time we’ve seen this. This has come up a dozen times in different ways.”

Phelps and Notre Dame Athletic Director Dick Rosenthal were not immediately available for comment.

Last season was the worst for the Irish since they went 6-20 in Phelps’ first year. The coach was regularly booed at home games this year.

Phelps has a 393-197 record at Notre Dame.