J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Head Women’s Basketball Coach Kim Barnes Arico announced the addition of Melanie Moore as an assistant coach of the women’s basketball program on Thursday (March 30). Moore, who spent the last four seasons as the head coach at Xavier, returns to Ann Arbor where she worked alongside Barnes Arico from 2012-19.
“I am so excited to bring Mel and her family back to Ann Arbor,” Barnes Arico said. “She was so instrumental in helping elevate this program to the level it is at today. She helped recruit and develop one of the most successful classes in Michigan women’s basketball history. Mel is one of the best in the business at coaching the post position, recruiting and working with Michigan greats like Naz Hillmon and Hallie Thome. She brings so much positive energy and passion to this job and has the ability to connect with everyone.”
“My family and I are ecstatic to be heading back to Michigan, a place we called home for seven amazing years,” Moore said. “I am very thankful to Kim for welcoming us back and giving me this incredible opportunity to rejoin her on the sidelines. Michigan women’s basketball is an elite program, and I am excited to build on their past success and win championships with these amazing student-athletes.”
While at Xavier, Moore coached two players to All-Big East honors, coming from All-Freshman honoree Fernanda Ovalle this past season and A’riana Gray after she led the conference in rebounding in 2019-20. Xavier won the 2022 Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout against Cincinnati and had three players named CSC Academic All-District. Xavier had 16 players earn Academic All-Big East Honors during her four seasons, with Ayanna Townsend being named the 2021-22 Big East Women’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year, becoming the first Musketeer to earn the academic honor.
During her first stint at Michigan, Moore helped the Wolverines to a 156-85 overall record and postseason berths in all seven seasons, including three NCAA Tournament appearances and the 2017 WNIT title. She was responsible for coaching and developing the post players, most notably Thome and Hillmon, two of Michigan’s four 2,000-point scorers in program history. She teamed up with Hillmon during her freshman season after recruiting her from Cleveland, with her work helping Hillmon become the first 2,000-point, 1,000-rebound player in Michigan history and the highest WNBA draft pick in program history. Moore also served as recruiting coordinator, helping Michigan sign multiple top-25 ranked recruiting classes, highlighted by the No. 12-ranked class in 2018.
Moore came to Michigan in 2012 after a five-year stint as an assistant coach at Princeton. The Tigers posted a 95-50 record during her time on the bench. The Tigers also won three conference titles, earning three NCAA Tournament berths.
Moore also has served as an assistant coach at Dayton (2006-07), Indiana State (2004-06) and Siena (2002-04).
Moore graduated from Siena in 1999 with a degree in finance and spent two years following graduation playing professionally in Luxembourg and Israel.
She remains the all-time leading rebounder and ranks second in scoring in Siena’s Division I history, with 1,122 rebounds and 2,021 points. She was named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Player of the Year in both 1998 and 1999.
In 2001, Moore returned to Siena as an admissions officer before joining the women’s basketball staff as an assistant coach for the 2002-03 season. That year, Siena advanced to the second round of the WNIT, and the Saints followed that up in 2003-04 with a second straight MAAC regular-season title.
Moore and her husband, Joe, have two children, Tristin and Ayla.
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