Kevin Borseth : All posts

Kim Barnes Arico is new Michigan women's basketball coach

Related story: Leaving St. John's '100 times harder' than new Michigan women's basketball coach Kim Barnes Arico imagined

The Michigan women's basketball program has its new leader.

Former St. John's coach Kim Barnes Arico, the 2012 Big East Coach of the Year, was named the program's ninth head coach Friday, according to an official university release.

Kevin Borseth couldn't find happiness at Michigan, is back 'home' at Wisconsin-Green Bay

Former Michigan women's basketball coach Kevin Borseth was introduced as the new coach at Wisconsin-Green Bay on Thursday. Borseth was head coach of the Phoenix from 1998 to 2007.

Angela J. Cesere | AnnArbor.com

Kevin Borseth's bank account will be smaller. His happiness level, however, has grown exponentially.

The former Michigan women's basketball coach's family convinced him to make the move back to Wisconsin-Green Bay, the place he coached from 1998-2007.

Not long after he informed his Michigan players of that decision and word started circulating around Ann Arbor and Green Bay, Borseth said his phone was instantly filled with text messages. At least 200 of them, he said, include the words "Welcome home."

Borseth had only kind words for Michigan, but said the job may have been too consuming.

"That walk of life didn’t fit me very well," Borseth said of the Michigan program that he led to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2001. "As a result, it evidently showed in my happiness, because that’s what my wife (Connie) said. She said 'You’re not happy.' One of my daughters said, ‘That’s what I pray for. For you to be happy.’ That was an eye-opening statement for me."

Michigan women's basketball coach Kevin Borseth resigns, heads back to Green Bay

Kevin Borseth was 77-73 in five seasons as the Michigan women's basketball coach.

Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com

Two hours after reports surfaced that point guard Trey Burke would leave the Michigan men's basketball team, another bombshell hit the Wolverines' hoops program.

This one came on the the women's side, where head coach Kevin Borseth announced Wednesday he would resign his post and return to Wisconsin-Green Bay.

Into the deep end: Michigan women's basketball starts season with tough task at Florida

When Michigan women's basketball coach Kevin Borseth was discussing early-season schedules recently with men's basketball coach John Beilein, he received somewhat of a startled reaction.

"You're going to play Florida your first game?" Borseth remembers Beilein asking. "Are you kidding me?"

Nope, he wasn't.

Borseth's Wolverines won't be entering the 2011-12 season from the shallow end of the pool. Michigan begins its regular season at 4:30 p.m. Friday on the road in Gainesville, Fla.

"The road is always more difficult, but you've got to find out where you are at some point in time," Borseth says. "(But) four of (our) kids have (started games) together, they've seen the good, the bad and the ugly."

Q&A: A postseason chat with Michigan women's basketball coach Kevin Borseth, Part II

The second of a two-part question-and-answer session with Michigan basketball Kevin Borseth. Here, he talks about what a renovated Crisler Arena will mean to his program, recruiting and scheduling.

(Read the first part of the Q&A with Borseth here.)

Q&A: A postseason chat with Michigan women's basketball coach Kevin Borseth - Part I

Michigan women's basketball coach Kevin Borseth expects to see more aggressive play from the Wolverines in the 2011-12 season.

Angela J. Cesere | AnnArbor.com

For the second consecutive season, the Michigan women's basketball team sat on the cusp of the NCAA tournament but ended up playing in the WNIT.

Graduating one player — senior guard Veronica Hicks — Michigan returns a core of a team that looked like it would make the 64-team NCAA field until struggling in the season's final weeks.

A month removed from that, women's basketball coach Kevin Borseth sat down for a two-part interview. In Part I, Borseth breaks down the future of the program — both in personnel and how close he thinks the team is to making the NCAA tournament.

Michigan women's basketball point guard Dayeesha Hollins leaves program

Michigan freshman Dayeesha Hollins looks to shoot around Penn State freshman Nikki Greene during the second half of a 66-62 win over Penn State last season. (Photo: Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com)

It didn't take long for Dayeesha Hollins to make her mark on Michigan's women's basketball team.

The freshman point guard gave the Wolverines a bonafide playmaker, using her natural abilities to become one of the Big Ten's top up-and-coming players.

But on Friday, Michigan coach Kevin Borseth announced that the Cincinnati native left the program to transfer to a school closer to home. Hollins has not decided where she will continue her collegiate career, according to a release issued Friday afternoon.

Michigan women's basketball team pushes past tough Toledo to advance in WNIT

Michigan freshman Dayeesha Hollins and junior Veronica Hicks smile as they walk off the court arm and arm after beating Toledo during the National Invitational Tournament at Crisler Arena on Sunday afternoon.

Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com 

On Friday, the Michigan women’s basketball team stifled Kent State’s offense in the first half, holding the Golden Flashes to 11 points on 13 percent shooting in the first round of the Women’s National Invitational Tournament.

Sunday afternoon, the Wolverines turned in a similar 20-minute defensive performance and held  off Toledo for a 72-57 win at Crisler Arena.

OPINION: Despite not making the NCAAs, Michigan women's basketball has reason for optimism

For the first time since 2001, when most of Michigan’s current players on the women's basketball team were in middle school or younger, the Wolverines looked like they might have a chance to go to the NCAA tournament.

The perfect picture of a bubble team, players and coaches consistently received e-mails, phone calls and text messages about their tournament status all week. 

While the Wolverines’ bubble dreams failed to materialize Monday night, there is still reason for optimism.

Michigan, Eastern Michigan women qualify for WNIT

A couple of hours after missing out on the women's NCAA tournament, the Michigan women's basketball team found out it'll have at least one more home game this season.

The Wolverines qualified for the WNIT for the second time in three years and will play Kent State in a first round game Friday in the 64-team field.

Michigan women's basketball team misses out on NCAA tournament

The Michigan women's basketball team, which had been sitting on the bubble for most of the season, saw its NCAA tournament dreams end Monday evening.

The Wolverines were not among the 64 teams selected for the national championship tournament, but that doesn't mean their season is over.

Second-half surge leads Michigan women's basketball team to 66-62 win over No. 23 Penn State

Michigan head coach Kevin Borseth reacts along with members of the bench to a 3-pointer by sophomore Carmen Reynolds late in the second half of the Wolverines' 66-62 win over Penn State at Crisler Arena on Sunday. Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com

Versatility isn't a luxury in Kevin Borseth's brand of Michigan women's basketball, it's an expectation.

Shooters score, but they are also expected to carry out the intangible details. So when Carmen Reynolds transitioned from point-producer to the one helping spring Michigan's perimeter shooters free with purposeful picks, it wasn't long before the rest of the Wolverines' offense fell into place.

By the end, all of the little things added up to one of Michigan's biggest victories of the season - a 66-62 character builder over No. 23 Penn State on Sunday afternoon at Crisler Arena.

OPINION: Michigan's women's basketball team is better than it was a year ago

The box score had no chance. Crumpled in the massive hands of Kevin Borseth as he left the media room Monday night, the statistics sheet didn't last long.

Borseth stopped, started to answer a question from a visitor and the box score was done, torn to shreds. Borseth was frustrated, his Michigan women’s basketball team having played so well in non-conference action and then losing at home, 63-59 to Northwestern, in Big Ten play.

Images from Michigan's loss to Northwestern

Video: Kevin Borseth's post-game press conference after Michigan's loss to Northwestern

Michigan's late rally not enough in 63-59 home loss to Northwestern

Michigan head coach Kevin Borseth kneels by the bench during the second half of the Wolverines' 63-59 loss to Northwestern at Crisler Arena on Monday night. (Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com)

Kevin Borseth's head nodded in frustration before he managed to even utter a word.

He kept his opening statement to a total of two words -- "Very disappointing" -- allowing his body language to tell the rest of the story.

It was, unfortunately for Michigan's women's basketball team, a familiar scene.

After a solid run through its non-conference slate, the Wolverines again struggled to figure out a Big Ten opponent, foiled in a misleading 63-59 loss to Northwestern at Crisler Arena Monday night.

Michigan women's basketball team tries to build off strong start as Big Ten season begins

Third-year Michigan women's basketball coach Kevin Borseth will have to be creative if the Wolverines' early-season success is to continue in the Big Ten. (AnnArbor.com file photo)

Kevin Borseth fancies himself a decent cards player, relying on a suitable poker face to bluff with the best of them. But when it comes to his Michigan women's basketball team, Borseth is limited in what he is willing to wager, understanding what he's got in his hand.

Michigan women's basketball point guard Dayeesha Hollins comfortable in new role

Dayeesha Hollins celebrates after the Michigan women's basketball team's victory against No. 8-ranked Xavier. (Photo: Associated Press)

But after being moved to point guard as a freshman by Michigan women's basketball coach Kevin Borseth, Hollins realized that the transition from more of a traditional guard was going to take time.

So Hollins fell back on her instincts. She relies on the advice Borseth gave her when he made the 5-foot-6 playmaker the Wolverines point guard on a team with six freshmen.

"He told me just to play," Hollins said. "So that's what I do. I just play."

Meandering: Green Bay prepares for visit from Brett Favre and other links

What should a Brett Favre fan wear? (Photo: Associated Press)

Green Bay Mayor Jim Schmitt also is encouraging people to wear flip-flips in honor of Favre's frequent retirement/not-retiring announcements.

Michigan women's basketball coach Kevin Borseth isn't setting goals

ROSEMONT, Ill. - Kevin Borseth is all about the motivation.

He plans on using different stories to show that just because his team was picked to finish last in the Big Ten - or not picked at all - it doesn’t mean that will be the end result.