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Post by phearthephoenix on Apr 4, 2012 14:51:29 GMT -6
Kevin Borseth to be Named Women's Basketball Coach at Green BayGREEN BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) - Green Bay Athletics will name Kevin Borseth as the head women's basketball coach on Thursday, Director of Athletics Ken Bothof announced on Wednesday afternoon. Borseth, who compiled a 216-62 record in nine seasons previously serving in the same capacity at Green Bay, will be officially announced at a press conference on Thursday, April 5 at 2:30 p.m. in the Special Events Room at the Kress Events Center. Thursday's press conference will be streamed live on GreenBayPhoenix.com. To watch Borseth being welcomed back to Green Bay, click here. "This is an exciting time for our University, our women's basketball program and Green Bay Phoenix Athletics," said Bothof. "Having the chance to welcome Kevin and his family back to Green Bay is a great privilege, and I know I speak for so many fans when saying I am thrilled to know that this program will be under his leadership moving forward." Under Borseth's watch from 1998-2007, Green Bay advanced to the postseason in all nine seasons, including seven trips to the NCAA Tournament. The Phoenix also won the regular season conference championship in each of his nine seasons at the helm, beginning a stretch that currently stands at 14. Borseth has spent the past five seasons as the head coach at the University of Michigan, where he compiled an overall record of 87-73. Borseth took over a program that had won just 21 games in the prior three seasons combined and led the Wolverines to 19 wins and a postseason berth in his first season in 2007-08. In five seasons at the helm at Michigan, Borseth led the Wolverines to three postseasons, including this past season's trip to the NCAA Tournament, the program's first since 2000-01. "My family and I are so thrilled to return to Green Bay and to the many friends and fans in the community," said Borseth. "I am really excited to get to know the current players on the team and to continue to move Green Bay women's basketball forward." All told, the 25-year head coaching veteran has an impressive record of 528-232 in his stints at Michigan Tech, Green Bay and Michigan. During his time at Green Bay, Borseth was named the conference coach of the year seven times and led the program to its first two NCAA Tournament victories with wins over Washington in 2003 and New Mexico in 2007. Borseth coached a number of the most legendary players in the program's storied history, including the top two all-time leading scorers, Chari Nordgaard and Nicole Soulis. He also recruited recent standouts Celeste Hoewisch, Kayla Tetschlag and Julie Wojta to Green Bay and coached Hoewisch during her redshirt campaign in 2006-07. In 2012-13, Green Bay will return four starters from a 31-2 team that won the Horizon League regular season and tournament titles and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Link
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Post by gbbrl97 on Apr 4, 2012 17:28:46 GMT -6
I didn't see this coming.....KB finally got the Michigan program back on track and into the NCAA's. I'd like to know why he decided to come back.
Exciting to say the least, but a few questions remain:
1. Will he retain Mike Divilbiss or will Divilbiss stay on if asked? Will KB keep anyone else from last year's coaching staff? 2. Who will KB bring to UWGB from his UM staff? 3. How will the incoming recruits react?
Was KB at UWGB when the Kress Center was opened?
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Post by rocketmailsouthpaw on Apr 4, 2012 17:43:51 GMT -6
I have a few opinions... *I think he came back because he accomplished his goal of getting Michigan to the NCAAs and that may have been the pinnacle for him. After five years- all the time and effort to spend on building a program may have worn him out and he was ready to return to the GB life.
*Mike will go to Illinois to be with Bollant- no doubts there.
*Not sure that KB will bring anyone with from Michigan but I'm sure he'll want to retain Amanda (as she played for him) and Sarah (her recruiting is amazing).
*The incoming recruits might feel a little bit of anxiousness at starting over with a coach they have never met- but let's face it- everyone who has been a part of the GB program when KB was here knows of his amazing rapport with his players. I would bet that he has already reached out to them.
*Finally- no- KB was not here when the Kress opened. His last year here was the final season in the Phoenix Sports Center.
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Post by gbbrl97 on Apr 5, 2012 6:21:30 GMT -6
It's a strange dynamic. When KB left for UM, no on thought Bollant would get UWGB to that next level.....well, he did and then some. But KB was responsible for setting the table for Bollant. But Bollant ended up making a better dinner than any of us thought.
Can KB at least sustain the higher standard left by Bollant? KB didn't have the Kress Center and the fan environment that came with it when he left GB the first time; he can recruit to that now and maybe expand GB's recruiting base a little more into the state of MI.
Will the buzz defense still be around?? This was one factor that helped GB come back in games last season and against UK in the NCAA's (and almost beat UK).....Last year's team was Elite 8 caliber.....
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Post by originalfan on Apr 5, 2012 7:46:10 GMT -6
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Post by FunDmentals on Apr 5, 2012 8:31:33 GMT -6
When Borseth left I didn't think any coach could live up to the standards he set. Bollant actually surpassed them, and I'm probably the only person who thinks rehiring Borseth is a bad move.
1. It eliminates the Buzz defense. GB cannot recruit the type of players the top programs in the country can. That is why they were never succesful in the NCAA Tourney under Borseth. They lined up strength vs. strength and weren't as good. With Bollant, his focus was defense. They turned you over. They gave teams like Kentucky fits. I think losing that will go back to one and dones in the NCAA.
2. You lose all the progress you've made in recruiting. Borseth may open up Michigan, but Bollant and Divilbiss had already cracked Minnesota. The team was expanding to most of the Midwest, and it was always Borseth's strategy to stay closer to home. Maybe things will change with the national success and the Kress, but history makes me think otherwise.
3. The current players may not want to play Borseth's style. Let's remember that is took almost two years to get Borseth's players to buy into Bollant's system. Now you are going to have the same effect.
I just believe that Divilbiss would have been the safer hire. The city of Green Bay loves Borseth and everyone will be happy to see him back (and his antics), but I just think it's a mistake in the short and long term.
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Post by shooting the J on Apr 5, 2012 8:57:23 GMT -6
Huge, huge move by Ken Bothof. He gets a coach for life at a school that doesn't have the financial resources to normally make this kind of move. Borseth set the stage for Bollant, and provided all his talent. This move ensures Green Bay will continue to dominate the women's basketball scene for at least the next decade.
Borseth isn't just rejoining the school where he took the program to a new level, he now can reap the benefits of the Kress Center. The facility is a huge asset, and has been greatly beneficial in Bollants ability to expand the programs recruiting horizons.
I'm also extremely relieved Mike Divilbiss didn't get the job. He is a great basketball mind, but he absolutly imploded at his last job. Why would we risk hiring a coach that was fired from another mid-major job where he left the program in shambles? The resume of Borseth and Divilbis don't even begin to compare. Hiring Divilbis might have done to the women's program what hiring Heideman did to the men's program. That thought couldn't be scarier.
Not sure why we need the buzz defense, we won before it. If we really want to run it, I'm sure Borseth can figure it out. Brian Wardle learned it, the lady Phoenix players already know it, and Borseth will likely retain some of the present assistant coaches who helped teach it. Also, Borseth could just pop in a game tape and learn it. That's how coaches learn new styles and plays, it's not a new concept.
To steal a successful coach from a high-major is a massive maneuver in changing the public perception of Green Bay Phoenix Athletics. Ken Bothof just sent a message to the nation that Green Bay is a great place to be. Well done.
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Post by phearthephoenix on Apr 5, 2012 10:04:35 GMT -6
Here is the Michigan fans perspective Borseth is probably taking a pretty significant pay cut to come back here. According to the UM fans he was making around $300,000 per year, he'll probably make half that here at GB
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Post by FunDmentals on Apr 5, 2012 10:09:30 GMT -6
Borseth set the stage for Bollant, and provided all his talent. This move ensures Green Bay will continue to dominate the women's basketball scene for at least the next decade. Borseth's teams never did anything in the NCAA tournament. There's nothing to convince me that anything will change. Not sure why we need the buzz defense, we won before it. If we really want to run it, I'm sure Borseth can figure it out. Brian Wardle learned it, the lady Phoenix players already know it, and Borseth will likely retain some of the present assistant coaches who helped teach it. Also, Borseth could just pop in a game tape and learn it. That's how coaches learn new styles and plays, it's not a new concept. The same reason I can't watch a tape of the 2000 Badgers men's team and teach a team how to play lockdown defense. There's nuances to every system that aren't available on tape. But it won't even matter because Borseth isn't going to be flexible. It's not in his personality. Things will be done his way. Which is half court defense, and try to outscore them. Which will win a bunch of Horizon League titles and lead to one and dones (and the occasional Round of 32 appearance).
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hoops
Sophomore
Posts: 208
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Post by hoops on Apr 5, 2012 12:22:17 GMT -6
"I'm also extremely relieved Mike Divilbiss didn't get the job. He is a great basketball mind, but he absolutly imploded at his last job. Why would we risk hiring a coach that was fired from another mid-major job where he left the program in shambles? The resume of Borseth and Divilbis don't even begin to compare. Hiring Divilbis might have done to the women's program what hiring Heideman did to the men's program. That thought couldn't be scarier".
Pretty strong and damning statements. I assume you know Mike pretty well?
I have talked to a number of people regarding his dismissal at Idaho, and you can find out everything you want, except for the last 18 months. Talk to anyone who knew him from his Lewis and Clark days and you'll get glowing remarks. So if you know the details of his implosion, you might be one of the few in NE Wisconsin that know what happened. I would assume you will elaborate?
You won't find a bigger supporter of Borseth than me. However, my question to our faithful is this: Are we, or will we be getting the same Kevin Borseth that was here 5 years ago?
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Post by shooting the J on Apr 5, 2012 12:22:47 GMT -6
Borseth's teams never did anything in the NCAA tournament. There's nothing to convince me that anything will change. That isn't factually true. Borseth's team made the field of 32 is his final season. Bollant surpassed that just once, and did it with the players Boresth recruited, including a 2nd team all-american. Borseth might have had as much success, or more, had he stayed. Borseth's program was clearly rising when he left. However, niether of these points is relevant. What is relevant is Borseth versus Divilbiss. One took over a terrible high-major program and brought them to the tournament, while the other earned a pink slip from a mid-major.
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Post by shooting the J on Apr 5, 2012 12:44:18 GMT -6
Pretty strong and damning statements. I assume you know Mike pretty well? I have talked to a number of people regarding his dismissal at Idaho, and you can find out everything you want, except for the last 18 months. Talk to anyone who knew him from his Lewis and Clark days and you'll get glowing remarks. So if you know the details of his implosion, you might be one of the few in NE Wisconsin that know what happened. I would assume you will elaborate? His record is publically available, nothing is hiding here. I have nothing personal against Mike, I'm sure he is a great guy, and wish him the best of luck in the future. However, he needs to prove himself again before being given the keys to one of the nations top WBB programs. I don't think you'd argue with that.
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Post by phearthephoenix on Apr 5, 2012 17:06:22 GMT -6
In Ken Bothof I trust. He has made numerous good coaching hires in his tenure, including Matt Bolant, Tom Poitras, and Brian Wardle. I have faith that he made the right decision and Borseth will keep the women's program moving forward
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Post by rocketmailsouthpaw on Apr 5, 2012 18:57:07 GMT -6
I would also like to add that I saw a number of incredibly happy faces today at the Kress Center press conference. The players are excited that their new coach is KB. His record speaks for itself and I firmly believe this will set Green Bay up for the long haul. KB said today that he is here as long as Green Bay will have me. He has the energy, passion and enthusiasm of someone half his age. I can see him sticking around now until he retires and he can set up the team for a successor as he approaches retirement age. I might be a partisan hack- LOL- but I believe that the future is as bright as ever for the GB women... go GB!!!
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Post by GBPhoenix1 on Apr 6, 2012 8:48:48 GMT -6
I don't comment on the women's team too often. My mile high opinion is that initially I agree with much of what fundmentals wrote. Yet I still think this is a good thing for GB. Borseth with the Kress might be able to recruit better talent than his first time around and there is no doubt that he is a great coach. I would say worst case this keeps GB in the picture as a consistent winner and tournament team. I can't imagine that would ever be a bad thing. Plus it gives GB some stability and no longer will it just be a stepping stone as I expect KB to give them a good 10+ years at this job.
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