Michigan hires former player Jillian Dunston as assistant coach
After losing assistant coaches Erin Batth and Val Nainima to Providence earlier in the offseason, Michigan women's basketball head coach Kim Barnes Arico has found her second assistant coach. Barnes Arico hired a former player, Jillian Dunston, as her second assistant coach, the team announced on Monday.
Dunston played under Kim Barnes Arico at Michigan for four seasons (2014-18) before she exhausted her eligibility. The 5-foot-11 former forward was a career 3.8 point-per-game scorer, and she didn't miss a start over her last two seasons, making 70 consecutive starts for the Wolverines.
Ironically, not only did Dunston play under Barnes Arico, but she was also coached by Melanie Moore, who was also hired by Barnes Arico to be an assistant coach on March 30. Dunston and Moore will now return to Ann Arbor to coach alongside Barnes Arico.
Moore coached at Michigan from 2012-19, meaning she was in Ann Arbor for the entirety of Dunston's collegiate playing career.
"It is so great to have Jillian back with our program," Barnes Arico said. "She is one of the best to ever wear the Block M and embodies everything our program stands for. She is a rising star in this business and her work ethic as a coach matches what she brought to the court every single day. I am so happy to have her energy and personality back with us in Ann Arbor."
After Dunston finished her playing career with the Wolverines, she began her coaching career at Florida State University as a graduate assistant. She then took a position at Drexel University as an assistant coach. The Dragons tallied 63 wins over Dunston's three seasons, and she helped the 2021 team to an NCAA Tournament appearance.
"I have so much gratitude for this opportunity to return to my alma mater," Dunston said. "I spent some of my best years in Ann Arbor and I can't wait to get back. Now that I am on the coaching side of things, I am excited to join Coach Arico on staff and overjoyed to be able to learn from her. This is the opportunity of a lifetime, and I am excited to be back with the hardest working team in America!"
The unity among the Michigan coaching staff will now certainly be evident as Barnes Arico and the staff continue to build a solid culture.
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