When Kim Barnes Arico left St. John’s as head coach, when she essentially left home and that comfort zone for Michigan and its limited brand in women’s college basketball, it was a leap of faith based on little more than belief in the possibilities of building something in Ann Arbor.
That was in the fall of 2012 after 10 seasons at St. John’s where Barnes Arico, a Long Island native and at that point an East Coast lifer, was a two-time Big East Coach of the Year and had led the Red Storm to a Sweet 16 NCAA Tournament appearance earlier that year.