The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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60 THE WOLVERINE ❱ OCTOBER 2025 BY ANTHONY BROOME T he University of Michigan has a way of sending its students out into the world to thrive and do great things in whatever field they decide to pursue. But not many have the opportunity to come back and make an impact at home. Former women's basketball player Danielle Rauch (2018-22) gets to do just that, coming back to Ann Arbor ahead of the 2025-26 season as an assistant coach on Kim Barnes Arico's staff at U-M. "It feels amazing to be back," Rauch said. "The energy in Ann Arbor is some- thing that you can't find anywhere else. And so that's always been the thing that I've loved the most — just Ann Arbor in itself and the college town that it is. "I always envisioned myself living in Ann Arbor one day after I graduated. So, to be back is super exciting." Rauch, who was a captain and a key member of the 2021-22 Elite Eight squad, spent last season as an assistant coach at Western Carolina, but got the itch to reconnect with her former program dur- ing its trip to South Bend for last year's NCAA Tournament. It was there that she and Barnes Arico reconnected, and the seeds were planted for her return. "I made the decision to drive eight hours to South Bend," Rauch recalled. "So, me being back there and getting back in front of Coach and seeing her for the first time in a while and being on that stage probably ignited some old feelings between us of missing the days when we were together all the time. We had the run that we had and the tour- nament and the energy that we shared. And I was always a coach on the floor with her. I always wanted to go back to Michigan and coach. We talked about that plenty of times once I decided in college that it was coaching that I wanted to pursue as a career." Barnes Arico reached out to Rauch after that, and insinuated that a return to Ann Arbor might be possible this sea- son. At first, she did not pick up on it and had said she was happy at Western Carolina. "I was kind of oblivious to the fact that she was maybe asking me to come back and work at Michigan," Rauch said. Once it became apparent there was interest, it was too good of an opportu- nity for Rauch to pass on. "Coach was very persistent," Rauch said. "That was the biggest thing. You always want to go somewhere that you're wanted. She reached out to me a lot of times after that and reminded me of the value that I could add and how she saw me fitting in and how I could be ❱ WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Danielle Rauch Returns As An Assistant Coach For Women's Basketball Rauch started all 32 games of the 2021-22 season, contributing 5.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists, and helping lead U-M to a program-best NCAA Elite Eight appearance. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY