Story Courtesy: Sarah VanMetre, Michigan Athletics
J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Head Women’s Basketball Coach Kim Barnes Arico announced the addition of Danielle Rauch as an assistant coach. Rauch, a U-M letterwinner from 2019-22, returns to her alma mater after spending time on the sidelines at Clemson and Western Carolina.
“To be able to bring somebody like Danielle back with her enthusiasm, passion and love for the game, as well as her love for Michigan, will be invaluable to the future of our program,” Barnes Arico said. “It will be great for our young kids to connect with someone who is one of the winningest players to put on a Michigan uniform. She helped lead us to a Sweet 16 and an Elite Eight — places where this team wants to go. And it wasn’t easy for her.
“Danielle is just a great example of perseverance and determination; someone who never quit at anything. She bleeds Maize and Blue and would do anything for our program. I think she is one of the best up-and-comers in the business.”
“I am beyond excited to return to my alma mater as an assistant coach,” Rauch said. “From the moment I stepped on campus, Ann Arbor has always felt like home to me. The opportunity to come back and contribute to the program that gave me so much is truly a dream come true. I was fortunate enough to be a part of the historic Sweet 16 and Elite Eight runs and am looking forward to making more history in a new role. I am so glad to be back and rejoining the Hardest Working Team in America. It’s always been, Go Blue.”
Rauch returns to Ann Arbor after spending the 2024-25 season as an assistant coach at Western Carolina, helping the Catamounts to their highest win total since 2013-14. She worked with the point guards on the court, while serving as liaison for strength and conditioning, equipment management and facility logistics.
Following her graduation from Michigan, Rauch spent the 2022-23 season as the graduate assistant coach at Clemson. She utilized her extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2023-24, appearing in 23 games for the Tigers with a pair of starts.
Rauch played four seasons at Michigan from 2018-19 to 2021-22, helping Michigan to its two longest postseason runs in program history. She entered the starting lineup at the 2021 NCAA Tournament, leading Michigan to its first-ever Sweet 16 appearance with wins over Florida Gulf Coast and Tennessee.
A starter for the entirety of her senior season, Rauch was one of two Wolverines to start all 32 games while averaging 5.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 32.6 minutes per game. She recorded seven double-figure scoring performances during her final season, highlighted by a career-best 18 points at Wisconsin (Dec. 9, 2021).
A three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and two-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar, Rauch graduated from Michigan with a degree in applied exercise science before earning her master’s degree in athletic leadership at Clemson in 2024.
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