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Each time has its own story.

In the mid-1990s, the former Julie Brase was a big-time recruit. She was on her way to becoming the all-time leading scorer in Arizona high school girls basketball at Catalina Foothills.

Brase Hairgrove had interest from multiple schools. One was rising to the top in her mind.

Arizona State.

The Sun Devils had just hired Charli Turner Thorne as head coach. Brase Hairgrove was intrigued.

“She recruited me very heavily,� Brase Hairgrove said. “I loved her system. I loved what she was about.�

Brase Hairgrove’s grandfather, then-Arizona men’s basketball coach Lute Olson, had been conspicuously quiet throughout his granddaughter's recruitment. That changed when she revealed where she was leaning.

Brase Hairgrove’s declaration went something like this: “I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think I'm gonna go to ASU.�

“And (then) he started recruiting me to U of A,� she said.

Olson, aka “Papa Lute,� told Brase Hairgrove that she needed to go “somewhere where I can watch you practice every single day.� Olson also reminded her of how after his father died.

So it came to be: Brase Hairgrove committed to Arizona.

“At the end of the day, my family's here, and I think I made the right choice in going to U of A,� she said. “Because it did work out great. I loved being here and don't regret it at all.�

Brase Hairgrove played on three NCAA Tournament teams over five seasons under Joan Bonvicini. Julie also met future husband Mike, who played for the UA football team and spent more than two decades working in the athletic department.

And now she’s back.

The coaching bug

Brase Hairgrove is an assistant on Becky Burke’s staff. Her official title is assistant coach/director of player development. The Wildcats open the 2025-26 season on Thursday vs. UC Riverside.

Brase Hairgrove had left coaching when Burke got the head job at ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV on April 9. After serving as an assistant coach for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury for 18 years, Brase Hairgrove became a in Tucson.

“I liked it,� she said. “Didn’t love it.�

Her life was more manageable, though. She had split her time between Tucson and Phoenix while starting and raising a family. Julie and Mike have three daughters: Madison, 19; Hailey, 17; and Grace, 15.

“You always make sacrifices when you want to do something that you absolutely love,� Brase Hairgrove, 45, said. “But I was really lucky, too. My husband's very supportive, and my kids, when I first got the job (with the Mercury), they were just being born. They were very young. So they were with me during the season� — the WNBA is a summertime league — “then when I traveled, they would come back to Tucson. My sister-in-law was here in town. My parents, my husband's parents all lived in Tucson.

“I have a great support system, so it made everything a lot easier for me.�

Real estate provided a “good little break� from coaching, Brase Hairgrove said. It was a chance to take a breather and re-evaluate her career.

But the coaching bug never left her system. The pull is powerful. Many coaches say they never truly retire.

Julie’s brother, Matt Brase, helped steer her back in that direction. Matt was a walk-on at Arizona. He’s currently an assistant for the Philadelphia 76ers. He called her one day.

“He's like, ‘What are you doing? You need to get back into basketball. This is where you’re the happiest,’� Brase Hairgrove recalled.

Role player

An opportunity arose when Adia Barnes left Arizona to become the head coach at SMU. If the stars align, Brase Hairgrove thought, she could return to the hardwood at McKale Center.

Brase Hairgrove sent Burke a message, and the two began a text exchange. Brase Hairgrove got an inkling for how intense and serious Burke is because they were still conversing at 10 p.m. Tucson time — and Burke was still in Buffalo, where it was three hours later.

Burke had a busy weekend ahead, starting with her official introduction on Friday, April 11. She needed to begin recruiting immediately because the UA roster was practically barren.

Burke and Brase Hairgrove decided they would meet on Monday. Besides, Brase Hairgrove was headed to Salt Lake City, where youngest daughter Grace was playing in a volleyball tournament.

Well, it turns out that time waits for no one in the portal. Burke reached out to Brase Hairgrove on Sunday morning. The new head coach realized she had to floor it.

“So I leave the volleyball game,� Brase Hairgrove said. “My kid’s having the best game of her life. Worst mom moment, right?

“But I gotta do what I gotta do. So I stepped out and I had a great conversation with Coach and kind of hit it off. I loved hearing what she was about and her style and just thought it would be a good match. And if it was meant to be, I would be here. And here I am.�

It was a smart move by Burke, who has proved to be an effective program builder but had no connections to the University of Arizona. She also got a nudge from men’s coach Tommy Lloyd to consider Brase Hairgrove for her staff.

“From the first conversation, (it was) just very apparent her love for this university,� Burke said. “Her bloodline speaks for itself. Her pride in having played in this program. She’s been around this place since she was a baby.

“And then just her basketball IQ, her knowledge, her passion for the game, all of that stuff.�

Brase Hairgrove has served as a sounding board for Burke, answering whatever questions she might have. The longtime WNBA assistant has done it without acting like a know-it-all.

“She's so savvy, she's so confident,� Burke said. “She's done it in such a classy, tasteful way, where she didn't come in on Day One and act like she's arrived here. She's really felt me and my style and what I need from her.�

Brase Hairgrove understands who the boss is. She’s here to support Burke and “help her be the best head coach she can (be) because I want the U of A to succeed.�

Thanks to Papa Lute’s intervention, Brase Hairgrove is a Wildcat through and through.