The Wolverine

April 2018

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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12 THE WOLVERINE APRIL 2018   INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS WOMEN'S BASKETBALL EARNS FIRST NCAA TOURNAMENT BID SINCE 2013 On March 12, Michigan's women's basketball team heard its name selected to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in five years, being tabbed as a No. 7 seed in the Lexington (Ky.) Region. It is actually the sixth trip to The Big Dance, though, for head coach Kim Barnes Arico. She took her St. John's club to the annual event four different times — 2006, 2010, 2011 and 2012 — while also leading the Maize and Blue there during her debut 2013 season in Ann Arbor. Her 2012 Red Storm squad made it all the way to the Sweet 16, and she now holds a personal all-time record of 7-6 in the annual event. U-M beat No. 10-seeded Northern Colorado 75-61 in the first round of the tournament March 16 in Waco, Texas. In the second round March 18, the Wolverines fell to No. 2-seeded Baylor, keeping the game close early before the Bears pulled away in the second half for an 80-58 victory. The NCAA appearance was the seventh in program history, and U-M holds a 4-7 all-time mark in the event — the four victories were all first-round wins, occurring in 1990, 2001, 2013 and this season. U-M finished the season with a 23-10 record, including a 10-6 mark in Big Ten play. JENNIFER KLEIN HIRED AS NEW WOMEN'S SOCCER COACH On Feb. 28, Michigan director of athletics Warde Manuel announced Jennifer Klein as the new head coach of the women's soccer program. She spent the last three seasons as USC's associate head coach and will replace former U-M head man Greg Ryan, who was relieved of his duties Jan. 25. Klein is just the third coach in program history. "Michigan has such great academic and athletic traditions, and I can't wait to be a part of it," Klein said. "I am really look- ing forward to coaching and leading the women's soccer program as we work to pursue excellence both on and off the field. "I want to thank USC, especially my head coach, Keidane McAlpine. They have been so supportive through the pro- cess, and I wish the department and the team great success." Klein experienced tremendous success during her time in Los Angeles, most notably in 2016 when she was the lead re- cruiter for a club that won the national championship. Dur- ing her four seasons on the USC staff, the Trojans compiled a 71-19-9 overall record and a 31-11-2 mark in Pac-12 play. She made several coaching stops prior to her time at USC, including at Washington State and UNLV. Klein was hired as the Runnin' Rebels' head coach in 2010 and held the position for two years. Her coaching career began as a volunteer assistant in 2006 at Arizona, where she played from 2002-05. Ryan, meanwhile, compiled a 103-64-36 record during his 10 years as the head coach at Michigan, but stumbled to a disappointing 6-6-6 finish last season. FORMER MICHIGAN HEISMAN TROPHY WINNER CHARLES WOODSON TO GIVE COMMENCEMENT SPEECH AT U-M It was announced March 12 that for- mer U-M standout cornerback Charles Woodson will be returning to Ann Arbor as the keynote speaker at the school's commencement during its April 28 graduation ceremony. The annual ritual will be held inside The Big House, where Woodson became a U-M legend from 1995-97. He won the Heisman trophy during his junior campaign in 1997, while also leading the Wolverines to a 12-0 record and a national championship. Woodson remains the only primarily defensive player to ever take home college football's most prestigious award — on top of that, he is just one of three U-M players to win the trophy, joining halfback Tom Harmon in 1940 and receiver Desmond Howard in 1991. Following his three-year career in Ann Arbor, Woodson went on to play 18 seasons in the NFL with the Oakland Raiders and Green Bay Packers. Upon his retirement in 2015, he joined ESPN as an NFL analyst, where he still works today. The former U-M star has provided several lofty financial donations to the school since his departure, including a $2 million donation to C.S. Mott Children's Hospital in 2009. — Austin Fox Kim Barnes Arico's team punched its NCAA Tournament ticket for the first time in five years and reached the second round before falling 80-58 to No. 2-seeded Baylor. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN MAIZE AND BLUE NOTEBOOK CHARLES WOODSON

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