Report: Ryan Humphrey returning to Notre Dame as assistant coach

Ryan Humphrey looks to be making his return to the Fighting Irish, this time behind the bench.

According to Tom Noie of the South Bend Tribune, Humphrey accepted head coach Mike Brey's offer Thursday morning after spending the previous two seasons as Northwestern's director of player development. Two sources have confirmed the signing, although the official hiring process won't continue until Tuesday.

Humphrey, who played his two final collegiate seasons with Notre Dame spanning from 2000-02, is the all-time leader at Notre Dame in blocked shots with 2.8 a game, and is ranked third in total blocks with 166.

The addition of Humphrey to the staff brings both a respected personality and a drive to win.

"He had an incredible presence about him, arguably the best athlete in the Big East his senior year," former teammate and fellow captain David Graves said about his recollection of Humphrey. Graves also remembers Humphrey's competitiveness as one of his greatest strengths.

"Don't let that smile fool you. When it was time to compete, he would compete. You could always tell when those competitive juices kicked in."

Humphrey was drafted 19th overall in the 2002 NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz and was immediately traded to the Orlando Magic in a draft pick swap. Humphrey later played for the Memphis Grizzlies as well as multiple years in Europe.