University of Michigan Donald R. Shepherd Director of Athletics Warde Manuel announced Tuesday (Nov. 7) a contract extension through the 2027-28 season, with an automatic one-year extension added each June, for J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Head Women’s Basketball Head Coach Kim Barnes Arico.
“I am delighted to know that Kim will continue to lead our student-athletes into the future with this new contract extension that will keep her with us for many years to come,” said Manuel. “Already our winningest head coach, Kim continues to move this program forward, from deep NCAA Tournament runs to developing our young people towards the highest level of professional basketball. I look forward to her continued stewardship of this great program.”
“Working at the greatest University in the world is not something I take for granted,” Barnes Arico said. “We have been able to build something really special and the future is incredibly bright for our program. Michigan has become home for my family, and we are so grateful for the support we have received throughout the years by the university, the community and this fanbase.”
Barnes Arico is the winningest coach in program history with 241 wins, the only coach to ever eclipse 200 victories in Ann Arbor. With 10 of Michigan’s 14 all-time 20-win seasons, she is first all-time in winning percentage (.669) with a 241-119 record. 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 Division I coaches with at least 500 career victories, entering the 2023-24 season with 511 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 in all six trips. 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 9-6 record in the NCAA Tournament at Michigan. The Wolverines have won at least 20 games in 10 of her 11 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 the COVID-19 pandemic) under Barnes Arico, winning at least one game in every postseason appearance.
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 11 All-Big Ten first-team honors from the coaches, nine first-team honors from the media, nine second-team honors from the coaches, nine second-team honors from the media and a third-team honor from both before the teams were consolidated to two teams. She has had five players earn Big Ten All-Freshman honors and three different players grab a spot on the defensive team. Four players have been named to the WBCA All-District team since 2012-13, each earning at least All-America honorable mention. Naz Hillmon was named the 2021 Big Ten Player of the Year, became the first All-American in program history and is the only player in Michigan history to eclipse 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in a career.
Michigan has had a player drafted in back-to-back WNBA drafts, with Hillmon (2022) and Leigha Brown (2023) each going to the Atlanta Dream. For the first time in history, Michigan had three active players in the W during the 2023 season as Hillmon, Brown (traded to Connecticut) and Cyesha Goree (Washington) each saw time in the league.
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