Bair Added as Assistant Coach and General Manager
5/14/2026 11:30:00 AM | Women's Basketball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Head Women's Basketball Coach Kim Barnes Arico announced the addition of Sean Bair to the University of Michigan women's basketball coaching staff as an assistant coach and general manager on Thursday (May 14).
"I have gotten to know Sean over the last several years and his ability to connect with people has always stood out," Barnes Arico said. "He is a relentless recruiter who really cares about the student-athletes and their development. He can add a tremendous amount to our program in terms of his recruiting ability and player development. I think the other important piece in this changing landscape is also being a connector in the world of NIL and working with our variety of partners. He can help us continue to build our brand of Michigan women's basketball in this current world of college athletics by engaging with our alumni, our donors and with our fans."
"I am thrilled to join the University of Michigan," Bair said. "It is an honor, and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to work alongside Coach Arico and her outstanding staff. Michigan is a special place with championship standards, rich tradition and a clear vision for continued success that I am excited to help advance. My family and I cannot wait to experience all that Michigan has to offer and become part of the Ann Arbor community. Go Blue."
Bair comes to Michigan after spending the last two seasons at Penn State (2024-25, 2025-26). Bair helped develop and implement offensive and defensive systems, including player development, practice planning, game preparation and in-game adjustments. He led the development of their forwards and post players, including All-Big Ten honoree Gracie Merkle, who led the nation in field goal percentage in 2025-26.
Prior to his time in Happy Valley as an assistant coach, he was an assistant coach at Monmouth for three seasons from 2021-22 to 2023-24. In his first season with the Hawks, he helped the team to a seven-win improvement in conference play and a 12-win improvement overall. The season marked the largest turnaround from one season to the next in program history. The Hawks reached the 20-win mark in his final season in 2023-24, winning 22 games and advancing to the second round of the 2024 WNIT.
He spent the 2020-21 season at Penn State as the Director of Video and Analytics, where he created player development videos, evaluated recruits and generated postgame reports. The team increased its win total by six from the previous season, highlighted by a win over No. 15 Ohio State.
Bair previously worked as a graduate assistant coach with Arkansas men's basketball. While with the Razorbacks, he worked extensively on recruiting graphics, logistical organization, camp and strategic research, while assisting in several other aspects of the program. He earned a master's degree in Adult and Life Long Learning from Arkansas.
Bair was the head boy's basketball coach at New Oxford (Pa.) High School from 2013-19, earning 2019 GameTimePA Coach of the Year honors. He finished with three-straight winning seasons, including two trips to PIAA 5A postseason in 2017 and 2018, and posting 20-plus wins in 2018 and 2019.
Bair earned his bachelor's degree in history from Dickinson College in 2012.
He and his wife, Alex, have three daughters -- Willa, Ada and Clara.
