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.
Kim Barnes Arico will be introduced as the new Michigan women's basketball coach during a Monday press conference.
Associated Press
"I am excited and honored to represent the University of Michigan as its new head women’s basketball coach," said Barnes Arico said in a statement. "The University of Michigan is world renowned for its academic and athletic excellence and our program will continue to stress the university's foundational values of being a true student-athlete -- excellence in the classroom, excellence on the court and involvement in the community.
"I want to thank everyone associated with St. John’s University for all that they have done for me, my family and the women’s basketball program over the past 10 years."
The winningest women's basketball coach in St. John's history, Barnes Arico compiled a record of 176-133 during her 10-year tenure with the Red Storm.
Under her guidance, St. John's went four straight NCAA Tournaments and most recently advanced to the Sweet 16 in 2012.
BARNES ARICO FILE
1996-97: Farleigh Dickinson-Madison, 13-11
1997-98: N.J. Institute of Technology, 5-21
1998-99: N.J. Institue of Technology, 11-16
1999-2000: Adelphi, 18-10
2000-01: Adelphi, 19-11
2001-02: Adelphi, 28-3
2002-03: St. John’s, 8-19
2003-04: St. John’s, 10-18
2004-05: St. John’s, 20-11
2005-06: St. John’s, 22-8
2006-07: St. John’s, 8-20
2007-08: St. John’s, 18-15
2008-09: St. John’s, 19-15
2009-10: St. John’s, 24-6
2010-11: St. John’s, 22-11
2011-12: St. John’s, 24-10
Last season, St. John's went 24-10 before falling in the Sweet 16, ending the season at No. 13 in The Associated Press' Top 25 poll.
The high point of Barnes Arico's season a year ago, though, may have came in Storrs, Conn., when her Red Storm club ended Connecticut's 99-game home winning streak with a 57-56 win on Feb. 19.
"Kim is an elite coach that will help elevate our women’s basketball program to new heights," Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon said in a statement. "Kim has been successful at every coaching stop and has built teams that compete for championships. She is a tireless recruiter who will accomplish great things at Michigan. We are extremely happy that Kim and her family chose to join Michigan Athletics."
Prior to her hiring at St. John's, Barnes Arico spent three seasons as head coach at Division II Adelphi, where she also served as an assistant athletic director. She began her head coaching career at Fairleigh Dickinson-Madison in 1996-97 and also spent two seasons in charge at New Jersey Institute of Technology.
Her 16-year head coaching record is 270-205.
Barnes Arico takes over for Borseth, who made one NCAA Tournament appearance during his five seasons in Ann Arbor, guiding Michigan to its first tourney appearance since 2001 last season.
The Wolverines capped their 2011-12 season Thursday with a team banquet, naming junior forward Rachel Sheffler the team's most valuable player.
Saying he was no longer happy in Ann Arbor, Borseth opted to resign and return to his old position at Green Bay.
"That walk of life didn’t fit me very well," Borseth said earlier this month. "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 will formally announce Barnes Arico on Monday during a news conference on campus.
Nick Baumgardner covers Michigan basketball for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at 734-623-2514, by email at nickbaumgardner@annarbor.com and followed on Twitter @nickbaumgardner.
Want to stay connected to Wolverine basketball in your Facebook newsfeed? “Like” AnnArbor.com's Michigan Basketball News & Views.
Comments
Jim
Sun, Apr 22, 2012 : 7:32 a.m.
This is by far the best hire ever for the UMWBB coaching position. We have never had a coach with the track record of recruiting elite athletes that Barnes-Arica has. To get the program to the elite level and be a perrenial Tourney team we need more athletic players and a coach with elit level expence. The Oklahoma game should be proof of that. The OKL players were way quicker and faster and better leapers than our girls and besided that Borseth only played his best player, Rachel Sheffer (this years MVP) for only 14 minutes in that game, which has to be the dumbest coacing decision of all time. In 2 to 3 years you are going to see the athletic level of our program make a huge leap in terms of quickness, speed and leaping ability, I expect UMWBB will make an elite 8 appearance in 5 to 7 years. Basically at that point Coach Arica will have all her own recruits and her program will be totally in place. Just wait and be patient our time is comming.
Thomas Ferrigno
Sat, Apr 21, 2012 : 3:44 a.m.
Kim Barnes Arico is the next generation of All American coaching in women's b-ball. SJU loss is Michigans gain.Not only will her expertise be shown by play on the court, but she will connect the program with the university and the community. In time, she will win the hearts of all fans, and give Michigan another reason to cheer
MRunner73
Fri, Apr 20, 2012 : 9:20 p.m.
This will be a very good fit. Ms Barnes-Arico ran a very program at St John's and she will do the same at Michigan. Good luck and GO BLUE!!
brimble
Fri, Apr 20, 2012 : 8:20 p.m.
More important than the on-court record is the academic record of her players at St. Johns -- and their 100% graduation rate! Let's hope that she's able to buttress the tradition of successful STUDENT-athletes here, too.
Heidi Koester
Fri, Apr 20, 2012 : 8:16 p.m.
Looking forward to some great games in Crisler next winter. I'm not sure what people are complaining about regarding the environment there: my daughter and I go to almost all the home games and have a blast. Free tickets, great seats, exciting basketball: what's not to like? I hope Coach Arico and her family enjoy Ann Arbor. It's not downstate NY, for sure, but many transplanted East Coasters, myself included, end up preferring Ann Arbor.
Terri
Fri, Apr 20, 2012 : 8:06 p.m.
This may be the first time I have whole-heartedly agreed with Macabre Sunset, so I'll just go with a: DITTO.
Danai
Fri, Apr 20, 2012 : 8 p.m.
When I first heard it was Barnes Arico I was indifferent/lukewarm but then when I started looking into who she is and what she's about, I started to warm up to the idea. After I watched this I even got a little excited: http://www.redstormsports.com/allaccess/?media_id=316443
mr_annarbor
Fri, Apr 20, 2012 : 7:40 p.m.
I'm glad to see that they were able to get a solid coach in a very short period of time. It really would have hurt the team to be without a head coach for too long.
rensational
Fri, Apr 20, 2012 : 7:34 p.m.
"...our program will continue to stress the university's foundational values of being a true student-athlete -- excellence in the classroom, excellence on the court and involvement in the community." So, maybe she will be more involved in the community and help build up more of a fan base. But one of the quickest ways to get more fans in Crisler is to win and send Michigan to the NCAA Tournament regularly, as well as compete for the Big Ten title. Even the men's bball program had to deal with fans disappearing and only coming back when we started making the Tournament again. Either way, this seems like a good hire.
tim
Fri, Apr 20, 2012 : 6:34 p.m.
By the looks of St Johns I'ld say that Kim Arico does a good job of recruiting within the African American community. Michigan has seemed kind of so so on recruiting inner city kids.
observer
Fri, Apr 20, 2012 : 5:59 p.m.
Give Borseth credit, he was honest about how he felt.....good luck.....
Macabre Sunset
Fri, Apr 20, 2012 : 5:58 p.m.
She does have a solid record in a conference that includes The Auriemma. That's a big positive. I remember seeing her celebrating with her son after one of St. Johns' tournament victories this season. She has three young children. I hope this leads to a more children-friendly environment at Crisler in the future. The athletic department has done a terrible job building a fan base for women's sports in Ann Arbor. I don't know if Arico is at all interested in the community portion of her new job, but I hope that image from the tournament represents a commitment on her part. Welcome, Kim.