The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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60 THE WOLVERINE ❱ JANUARY 2025 I was looking to move up at some point. She said, 'I might have some opportuni- ties coming up here soon.' We stayed in touch and didn't pressure me to make a decision, she kind of let me think things through, but I just kind of wanted to sit on it for a second, which she let me do. She gave me my space. "Once I thought about it, it was a no- brainer." Dunston joined U-M as a player in the early stages of Barnes Arico's build of the program, and her first two sea- sons ended in WNIT appearances with a tournament victory in 2017. The Wol- verines would make the NCAA Tourna- ment the next two seasons, but little did Dunston know it would be just the beginning of Michigan's rise. The program now has a six-year NCAA Tournament appearance streak with five second-round appearances, two Sweet 16s and one Elite Eight. She takes a lot of pride in being part of the group that started the streak. "It's incredible because, even if I was watching from the sidelines, we made a decision then to get the program to where it is now," Dunston said. "So, I'm just happy that I can be directly part of it. When I see these rankings and we get these wins and we're in tournaments like the Hall of Fame Tournament … we would have dreamt of this when I played here, but I'm just happy that I can enjoy it now." The build for this year's team was a bit of a roller coaster, though. Michi- gan signed its best recruiting class in program history but lost a handful of foundational players to the transfer portal. Barnes Arico has been transpar- ent about how tough that was, but Dun- ston has been a calming presence, and a quick start to this season has inspired hope that winning days are still ahead. "I definitely didn't know what this year was going to be like because our offseason was so turbulent with the portal stuff," Dunston said. "For a mo- ment in time I thought we were going to have to reset again which isn't fair, but that's not the circumstances we're in now. It's not that I thought we'd be bad, but we are much better than I thought we would be, which is so fun. "I think in the next two years, it'll all make sense." Through the highs and lows of be- ing in Ann Arbor as a player, to being on staff and having to navigate a rocky time, Dunston's relationship with her former head coach and now boss has blossomed and continues to grow each day. "As a player, and this is all of college, your coaches are teaching you how to become young women and advocate for yourself," Dunston said. "Now that I'm back with her, she's teaching me how to be a young, successful professional. So, it is a different dynamic, but we're still rooted in the core of our relationship. It's very fun-loving and we can confront each other and she can hold me account- able. And she lets me ask questions. "I appreciate the space that she lets me grow. It's different, but in the best way, it's different because I'm like 10 years older now, so we're not duplicat- ing the same conversations, and it con- tinues to grow day in and day out." Dunston is in a class of Wolverines that ran it back for a second chapter as both a student and professional. And both decisions were worth it, she says. "Michigan changed my life for the better. I had the best undergrad experi- ence. I'm having a fantastic time as an employee. I owe Ann Arbor a lot. I'm six years deep and it's at the core of who I am. I wouldn't trade it for the world. "I'm pretty appreciative of everything this university has done for me." ❏ ❱ The Jillian Dunston File Michigan Accomplishments: Three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection … All-Big Ten Defensive Team and Michigan's Sportsmanship Honoree (2017-18). Professional Accomplishments: Graduate assistant at Florida State (2018-20) … Assistant coach at Drexel (2020-23) … Hired as assistant at Michigan ahead of 2023-24 season. Favorite Michigan Memory: "When we won the NIT my junior year, I think that was electric. And then my senior year when the boys went to the national championship, there was a lot of celebrating in Crisler. That was a lot of fun." Favorite Spot On Campus: "I like the restaurants on Main Street. Huge fan of Aventura. Little pricey, but I would highly suggest it. I also like to kind of hop around when there are sporting events and try to enjoy the environment." Family: Donna (mom) and Joe Dunston, Erin Zernechel (sister, U-M director of football operations) and Danielle Dunston (sister). Dunston saw action in 138 games as a forward for the Wolverines from 2015-18 and currently ranks fourth in program history with 862 career rebounds. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN ATHLETICS