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Kim Barnes Arico, head coach of the University of Michigan women鈥檚 basketball team

Kim Barnes Arico鈥攖he head coach of the University of Michigan听women鈥檚 basketball team鈥攈as traveled far since her days coaching听at Adelphi. Yet, when she returned to campus last April to accept听the Panther Legendary Team Award on behalf of Adelphi鈥檚 2001鈥�2002 at the dinner, the miles and years melted away for her and her听former players鈥�11 of whom returned for the event .

鈥淚鈥檝e coached at every level鈥攆rom high school to the big-time now at Michigan,鈥澨鼴arnes Arico said. 鈥淓verybody always asks me, 鈥榃hat鈥檚 the difference between high school and Adelphi and Michigan?鈥� I always say, 鈥楤asketball is basketball.鈥� The kids now might be bigger, stronger and quicker, but the team I had at Adelphi was probably my most special team of all time because of what we were able to do.鈥�

Barnes Arico鈥檚 rise to the highest echelon of college athletic coaching has been as meteoric as that of her 2001鈥�2002 team. Led by Alexis Seeley 鈥�03, M.A. 鈥�13 (who was inducted into the Adelphi Athletic听Hall of Fame in 2011) and Jessica Dlabola, that team smashed University records, winning听28 games, advancing to the NCAA Division II Tournament Sweet 16 and earning the program鈥檚 first national ranking. The next season, Barnes Arico embarked on a successful decade as the head coach of the women鈥檚 basketball team at St. John鈥檚 University and, in 2012, started at the University of Michigan. Even with such a storied career, Barnes Arico relishes her time at Adelphi.

A favorite moment of her coaching career came after Adelphi鈥檚 Sweet 16 defeat鈥�57 to 61. 鈥淓veryone was devastated,鈥� she said. She walked with dread up the stairs that led out of the locker room to where the Adelphi parents were waiting. As she got to the top, they clapped.

鈥淣owadays, you always hear about parents griping or complaining鈥� Barnes Arico said.听鈥淏ut this team was not like that鈥�The parents were completely supportive, and the kids were completely supportive. It didn鈥檛 matter if they were playing one minute a game or twenty-five minutes per game.鈥�

At Adelphi, Barnes Arico learned the value of relationships from her players and from mentors such as the late Robert Hartwell, Adelphi鈥檚 former longtime athletic director. By her own admission, she is a high-energy coach with extremely high expectations. But she will also go to bat for her players鈥� whether they鈥檙e facing issues in school or at home. 鈥淚 think if people know how much you care about them as individuals… they are willing to run through the wall for you,鈥� she said.

Seeley, who is now the associate dean for teaching, research and technology at Barnard College, said that playing for Barnes Arico was a pleasure, describing her not just as a great coach but as a mentor and now a friend whose opinions Seeley values. 鈥淪he is incredibly intense and has very high expectations of all of her players鈥攅veryone that鈥檚 on the team, from the manager to the person running the scoreboard during practice,鈥� Seeley said. You knew that you needed to be at your best at all times. Something that I find to be particularly special about her is that she鈥檚 also very understanding, so even though the expectations were very high, she鈥檚 not unreasonable.鈥�

Adelphi was Barnes Arico鈥檚 springboard, but it鈥檚 also her touchstone. When she came back for the Hall of Fame dinner, she drew a crowd鈥攏ot just her former players, but their parents and some of their grandparents came too.

After the dinner, she pulled an all-nighter, staying up until 6:30 the next morning swapping stories with her former players about their season together and all that has happened since. Barnes Arico said,听鈥淭o see that they鈥檝e grown up and become really special and really successful and exceptional people was just a joy.鈥�