Women's Basketball
- Title:
- Head Coach
Kim Barnes Arico
• Winningest coach in program history - 284 wins in 13 seasons
• Has won more games at Michigan than any other basketball coach - men or women
• Only coach in program history with 200 wins at Michigan
• Coached Michigan's first All-American - Naz Hillmon
• Three players drafted in WNBA drafts (2022, 2023, 2025)
• Two-time Big Ten Coach of the Year (2017, 2022)
• Led U-M to 12 20-win seasons
• Eight NCAA Tournament appearances at Michigan - most by a coach in program history
• Led U-M to the Sweet 16 in 2021 and the Elite Eight in 2022 - the only appearances in program history
J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Head Women's Basketball Coach Kim Barnes Arico finished her 13th season as the head coach in 2024-25, relying on stellar freshman class and a pair of veteran returners to win 23 games and reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Throughout her 13-year tenure, she has guided the Wolverines to at least 20 wins in 12 seasons, eight NCAA Tournament appearances, an NCAA Elite Eight appearance (2022), an NCAA Sweet 16 appearance (2021) and the 2017 WNIT Championship. She was announced as the ninth head coach in the history of the program on April 20, 2012 and is the longest tenured coach in program history.
Barnes Arico is the winningest coach in program history with 284 wins, the only coach to ever eclipse 200 victories. With 12 of Michigan's 16 all-time 20-win seasons, she is first all-time in winning percentage (.664) with a 284-144 record in Ann Arbor. Barnes Arico holds a 167-43 (.795) record at Crisler Center after the first-ever undefeated mark (16-0) in 2021-22. KBA eclipsed the 500-win mark of her coaching career in a 76-59 win at Nebraska on Dec. 28, 2022. She is one of 29 active coaches with at least 500 career victories, entering the 2025-26 season with 554 victories.
KBA has taken Michigan women's basketball to new heights since taking over prior to the 2012-13 campaign, more than doubling U-M's NCAA Tournament appearances and making at least the second round seven times. Michigan has advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 twice under KBA, including a trip to the Elite Eight in 2021-22, as she holds a 10-8 record in the NCAA Tournament at Michigan. The Wolverines have won at least 20 games in 12 of her 13 seasons, only missing the mark during the 2020-21 season as U-M played just 22 total games. Michigan has made the postseason in every season that had a postseason contested (missing 2019-20 due to pandemic) under Barnes Arico, winning at least one game in all but one postseason appearance.
U-M has found itself back in the national spotlight as well during KBA's tenure, returning to the Associated Press poll in January 2013 for the first time in 10 years. Michigan was ranked in every Associated Press and USA Today Coaches poll for three straight seasons (2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23), peaking at No. 4 in both for the highest ranking in program history during the 2021-22 season. Michigan has been ranked for 89 weeks since the 2012-13 season, accounting for 87 percent of its overall appearances (102).
Barnes Arico is a two-time Big Ten Coach of the Year (2017, 2022) and was a semifinalist for the 2022 Werner Ladder Coach of the Year honor. Her players have combined to earn 12 All-Big Ten first-team honors from the coaches, 10 first-team honors from the media, 11 second-team honors from the coaches, 11 second-team honors from the media and a third-team honor from both before the teams were consolidated to two teams. She has had seven players earn Big Ten All-Freshman honors and three different players grab a spot on the defensive team. Five players have been named to the WBCA All-District team since 2012-13, each earning at least All-America honorable mention.
She coached U-M's first All-American and Big Ten Player of the Year, Naz Hillmon, along with all-time leading scorer and three-time All-Big Ten first-teamer, Katelynn Flaherty. Hillmon was named the 2021 Big Ten Player of the Year, making her just the second Big Ten player in conference history to earn Player, Freshman and Sixth Player of the Year honors during a career. Hillmon was a two-time WBCA All-American, while also earning honors twice by the Associated Press, USBWA, Sports Illustrated and the Athletic. The 2017-18 Michigan Female Athlete of the Year, Flaherty also earned three consecutive WBCA All-America honorable mentions (2016, 2017, 2018). Nicole Elmblad also earned back-to-back Academic All-America honors (2014, 2015) and was the recipient of the 2015 Big Ten Medal of Honor.
Michigan has had players picked in three of the last four WNBA drafts, with Hillmon going 15th to the Atlanta Dream in 2022, Leigha Brown going in the exact same slot to the Dream in 2023 and Jordan Hobbs picked 34th by the Seattle Storm in 2025. Brown and Hillmon are tied for the highest WNBA draft picks in program history.
She also is building quite the coaching tree as five of her former assistant coaches are now head coaches: Joe Tartamella (St. John's), Megan Duffy (Virginia Tech), Toyelle Wilson (Texas A&M Corpus Christi), Carrie Moore (Harvard) and Erin Batth (Providence).
With just four returners, five freshmen and three transfers, Michigan did not miss a beat in 2024-25 en route to winning 23 games and reaching the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Olivia Olson and Syla Swords became the first freshman teammates in Big Ten history to each score 500 points in the same season, with Olson setting a new freshman program record with 553 points. Fellow freshman Mila Holloway set a new Michigan assists record for a freshman, handing out 148 assists on the season. Olson was named the Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Year, with her and Swords each earning a spot on the all-freshman team and the Big Ten second team. Michigan's 23 wins is tied for the third-most in program history, with the Wolverines making the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament for the second straight season. In a 70-67 win over Indiana (Feb. 12), Barnes Arico picked up her 279th win at Michigan - moving past John Beilein as the winningest coach in Michigan basketball history - men or women.
The Wolverines won 20 games in 2023-24, going 20-14 and making the NCAA Tournament for the sixth straight season after returning just a pair of starters from the season before. The Wolverines made a run to the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament to cement their NCAA Tournament berth, punctuated by a 69-56 win over No. 12-ranked Indiana in the quarterfinals.
Michigan went 23-10 in 2022-23, weathering the departure of Hillmon to the WNBA and some tough injuries by relying on a balanced attack. U-M was ranked in each poll during the season, won the Gulf Coast Showcase and grabbed a top-10 win over North Carolina in the Jumpman Invitational. Brown and Emily Kiser grabbed All-Big Ten first-team honors from the coaches, with Laila Phelia honored with a second-team selection. U-M put four on the CSC Academic All-District team and nine on the Academic All-Big Ten team. Michigan knocked off UNLV in the first round of the NCAA Tournament before falling to eventual national champion LSU in Baton Rouge.
The 2021-22 season was full of highlights for the Maize and Blue, who advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. U-M went 25-7 on the season, the second-best win total and highest winning percentage in program history. The Wolverines picked up eight wins over ranked teams, again setting a new program standard. Michigan was ranked in both polls throughout the season, garnering the first top-five and top-10 rankings in school history. U-M finished No. 12 in the AP poll and No. 7 in the USA Today Coaches poll, both program highs. The Wolverines hosted the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament for the first time as a No. 3 seed, recording wins over American and Villanova to punch their Sweet 16 ticket for the second straight season before knocking out South Dakota to advance. U-M went 16-0 at Crisler Center, the first undefeated home season in program history while averaging 3,676 fans.
Hillmon was a unanimous and consensus All-Big Ten first teamer, making her the first player in program history to earn four first-team nods. She also earned All-America first-team honors from the WBCA, USBWA, Associated Press, The Athletic, Sports Illustrated and the Wooden Award. Brown was named to the All-Big Ten second team, with Phelia grabbing a spot on the freshman team. The Wolverines put 10 on the Academic All-Big Ten team, while Brown, Maddie Nolan, Danielle Rauch and Kiser were named CoSIDA Academic All-District.
From 2018-21, U-M made three NCAA Tournament appearances, only missing the 2020 Tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Wolverines won at least one game in all three tourneys, making the program's first-ever Sweet 16 appearance in 2021.
Barnes Arico led Michigan to its first postseason championship in 2016-2017, as the Wolverines captured the WNIT Championship after being left out of the NCAA Tournament despite a third-place finish in the Big Ten. Michigan went 11-5 in conference play to finish alone in third place, its highest finish since 2011 and the second-most Big Ten wins in program history. The Wolverines regrouped during the WNIT, reeling off six straight wins for the title. U-M held off Georgia Tech in three overtimes in the championship game to hang its first banner in Crisler.
During KBA's first five seasons in the Maize and Blue, the Wolverines racked up at least 20 wins in each year and advanced to the postseason each time. In 2013-14, U-M weathered losing 88 percent of its scoring from the season before to still reach 20 wins and the third round of the WNIT with four new starters.
Barnes Arico also completed a two-year stint with USA Basketball (2014-15), serving as an assistant coach alongside Dawn Staley (South Carolina) and Jeff Walz (Louisville) for the U18 (2014) and U19 (2015) teams. She won a pair of gold medals at the FIBA U19 World Championships in 2015 and at the FIBA U18 America's Championship in 2014.
Prior to joining the Maize and Blue, she spent 10 seasons at the helm of the St. John's women's hoops program, building the Red Storm into a national power. She guided St. John's to four NCAA Tournament appearances, with the Red Storm advancing to the Sweet 16 in 2012.
Barnes Arico compiled a 176-133 overall record and five 20-win campaigns at St. John's. She was a two-time Big East Coach of the Year (2006, 2012) and had 11 players earn All-Big East honors, with six receiving all-rookie team nods.
In 2011-12, St. John's posted a 24-10 overall record and finished second (13-3) in the Big East standings. St. John's finished No. 15 in the final USA Today Coaches poll and reached its highest-ever ranking of No. 13 by the Associated Press. The highlight of the season was when Barnes Arico and her Red Storm ended Connecticut's 99-game home winning streak with a 57-56 win on Feb. 19, 2012 at Gampel Pavilion. It was also UConn's first home loss to an unranked opponent in nearly 19 years.
Prior to accepting her position at St. John's, Barnes Arico was extremely successful at NCAA Division II Adelphi (1999-2002). She led the Panthers to three consecutive postseason appearances, posting a 65-24 overall record and a 51-13 league mark. She was inducted into the Adelphi Hall of Fame in 2014.
In 2001-02, Adelphi won its first New York Collegiate Athletic Conference (NYCAC) championship and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. The Panthers finished with a 28-3 record and earned the school's first national ranking in school history, finishing No. 12. Barnes Arico was named the NYCAC, NIT/Metropolitan Basketball Writers Division II and Nassau County Sports Commission Outstanding Female Coach of the Year.
Barnes Arico started her head-coaching career at Fairleigh Dickinson-Madison, a Division III university in New Jersey. She led the Devils to a 13-11 record during the 1996-97 season before accepting the head coaching post at New Jersey Institute of Technology for two seasons (1997-99). Helping the program transition from Division III to Division II, Barnes Arico was named the New Jersey Coach of the Year after taking the program from the five-win total in her first season to 11 victories in year two.
A native of Mastic Beach, N.Y., Barnes Arico helped lead Stony Brook University to the 1989 NCAA Division III Tournament as a freshman. She spent her final three seasons at Montclair State University, serving as captain during her junior and senior seasons. Barnes Arico led the team to back-to-back ECAC Tournament appearances in 1991 and 1992 and was the team's leading scorer both seasons. A scholar-athlete award recipient, Barnes Arico graduated from Montclair State in 1993 with a bachelor's degree in physical education and health.
Barnes Arico went into teaching after graduation, accepting a position as a physical education and health teacher at the Academy of Saint Aloysius in Jersey City, N.J., during the 1993-94 academic year. She left Saint Aloysius and moved into an identical position at Chatham High School from 1994-96 in Chatham, N.J.
Barnes Arico and her husband, Larry Arico, are the parents of a son, Trevor, and daughters Emma and Cecelia. Emma plays lacrosse at Michigan, joining the team for the 2024-25 season.
Kim Barnes Arico
High School: William Floyd High School
College: Stony Brook University (1988-89) and Montclair State University (1990-93)
Family: Husband, Larry Arico
Children: Son, Trevor; Daughters, Emma and Cecelia
Kim Barnes Arico's Coaching Record
| Season | School | Overall | Conference | Postseason | |
| 1996-97 | Fairleigh Dickinson-Madison | 13-11 | |||
| 1997-98 | New Jersey Institute of Technology | 5-21 | 3-17 | NYCAC | First Year Division II |
| 1998-99 | New Jersey Institute of Technology | 11-16 | 9-12 | NYCAC | NYCAC, First Round |
| 1999-2000 | Adelphi | 18-10 | 16-6 | ECC | |
| 2000-01 | Adelphi | 19-11 | 15-5 | ECC | |
| 2001-02 | Adelphi | 28-3 | 20-2 | ECC | NCAA II, 2nd Round |
| 2002-03 | St. John's | 8-19 | 2-14 | Big East | |
| 2003-04 | St. John's | 10-18 | 4-12 | Big East | |
| 2004-05 | St. John's | 20-11 | 7-9 | Big East | WNIT, 2nd Round |
| 2005-06 | St. John's | 22-8 | 11-5 | Big East | NCAA, 2nd Round |
| 2006-07 | St. John's | 8-20 | 4-12 | Big East | |
| 2007-08 | St. John's | 18-15 | 7-9 | Big East | WNIT, Quarterfinal |
| 2008-09 | St. John's | 19-15 | 4-12 | Big East | WNIT, 3rd Round |
| 2009-10 | St. John's | 25-7 | 12-4 | Big East | NCAA, 2nd Round |
| 2010-11 | St. John's | 22-11 | 9-7 | Big East | NCAA, 2nd Round |
| 2011-12 | St. John's | 24-10 | 13-3 | Big East | NCAA, Sweet 16 |
| 2012-13 | Michigan | 22-11 | 9-7 | Big Ten | NCAA, 2nd Round |
| 2013-14 | Michigan | 20-14 | 8-8 | Big Ten | WNIT, 3rd Round |
| 2014-15 | Michigan | 20-15 | 8-10 | Big Ten | WNIT, semifinals |
| 2015-16 | Michigan | 21-14 | 9-9 | Big Ten | WNIT, semifinals |
| 2016-17 | Michigan | 28-9 | 12-4 | Big Ten | WNIT, Champions |
| 2017-18 | Michigan | 23-10 | 10-6 | Big Ten | NCAA, 2nd Round |
| 2018-19 | Michigan | 22-12 | 11-7 | Big Ten | NCAA, 2nd Round |
| 2019-20 | Michigan | 21-11 | 10-8 | Big Ten | No postseason held |
| 2020-21 | Michigan | 16-6 | 9-4 | Big Ten | NCAA, Sweet 16 |
| 2021-22 | Michigan | 25-7 | 13-4 | Big Ten | NCAA, Elite Eight |
| 2022-23 | Michigan | 23-10 | 11-7 | Big Ten | NCAA, 2nd Round |
| 2023-24 | Michigan | 20-14 | 9-9 | Big Ten | NCAA, 1st Round |
| 2024-25 | Michigan | 23-11 | 11-7 | Big Ten | NCAA, 2nd Round |
| TOTALS (29 Seasons) | 554-350 | 266-219 | |||
Coaching Highlights
• Two-time Big Ten Coach of the Year (2017 & 2022)
• Named to the coaching staff of the USA Basketball U18 team (2014) and U19 team (2015)
• Two-time Big East Coach of the Year (2006 & 2012)
• Finalist for the USBWA National Coach of the Year (2012)
• MBWA Coach of the Year (2006)
• Basketball Coaches Association of New York Statewide Coach of the Year (2005, 2010, 2011)
• NYCAC Coach of the Year (2000 & 2002)
• NIT/Metro Writers Coach of the Year (2002)
• Nassau County Sports Commission Outstanding Female Coach of the Year (2002)
• Inducted in the William Floyd High School Athletic Hall of Fame (2007)
• Inducted into the Adelphi University Athletic Hall of Fame (2014)
• Inducted into the Suffolk County Hall of Fame (2020)
Career Highlights
• Led Michigan to 2017 WNIT Championship and most wins in school history (28)
• Only coach in Michigan history with 12 20-win seasons
• Winningest coach in program history and only coach with 200 wins
• Coached Michigan's first All-American and Big Ten Player of the Year (Naz Hillmon)
• Coached Michigan's all-time leading scorer and 2018 Female Athlete of the Year (Katelynn Flaherty)
• Coached 2015 Michigan Big Ten Medal of Honor winner (Nicole Elmblad)
• 12 NCAA Tournament appearances (2006, '10, '11, '12, '13, '18, '19, '21, '22, '23, '24, '25), winning at least one game in all but one
• Led Michigan to the 2022 NCAA Elite Eight, the first appearance in program history
• Led two different schools to the NCAA Sweet 16 (2012, St. John's; 2021, Michigan)
• Highest seed in St. John's history (No. 3, 2012) and Michigan history (No. 3, 2022)
• Led Michigan to its highest ranking ever - No. 4 during 2021-22 season
• Seven WNIT appearances (2005, '08, '09, '14, '15, '16, '17)
• Nine consecutive appearances in Big East Tournament (2004-12)
