BROOKLYN, N.Y. — New Jersey governor Chris Christie stood in the middle of the Notre Dame men's basketball locker room, celebrating just as joyously as the players after the Irish clinched their spot in the Sweet 16 with a win over Stephen F. Austin.
He had personal ties to the Notre Dame program — two, actually.
He's known Mike Brey since the coach's time at the University of Delaware; Christie got his undergraduate degree there. Now, Christie's daughter, a sophomore at Notre Dame, is one of Brey's student managers.
"My wife and I have been friends with coach Brey for 21 years," Christie told USA TODAY Sports. "He's wonderful. So when Sarah decided to come to Notre Dame, he said, 'Why don't you come be one of my managers?' She's had a great time, a great experience."
Brey joked afterward that perhaps Republican frontunner Donald Trump had hooked Christie and his family up with their tickets to Sunday's game, but confirmed that it was he who got the family seats.
"The relationship started at Delaware," Brey said. "He was an attorney in New Jersey at the time. He was really supportive of my program, coming down to games. Then, we've stayed in close touch. God, when we played at Rutgers and Seton Hall back when we were in the Big East or the Garden, he'd come through.
"Sarah is a sophomore manager for us. All I know is the two years we've had Sarah, we've been on a heck of a run in the postseason. So her job is safe."
Sarah doesn't travel with the team, but she was in attendance this weekend at Barclays Center. Christie said he and his family will be in Philadelphia to cheer on Notre Dame against the winner of Xavier-Wisconsin in the Sweet 16 on Friday.
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