Harry Rafferty - Graduate Manager - Women's Basketball Support Staff

Harry Rafferty

Title:
Graduate Manager

Harry Rafferty enters his third season as an assistant coach and fifth on staff for the Michigan women's basketball program in 2023-24. He is responsible for coaching the wings at U-M and was made recruiting coordinator in April 2023.

In his second season on staff, the Wolverines spent the entire 2022-23 season ranked in both polls and finished with 23 wins, the third-most in program history. U-M made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament before falling to eventual national champion LSU in Baton Rouge. Rafferty was instrumental in helping Laila Phelia earn All-Big Ten honors as she increased her scoring from 8.8 points per game as a freshman to 16.7 points per game as a sophomore, while also more than doubling her three-pointers made from 15 to 35.

The 2021-22 season was full of highlights for the Maize and Blue, who advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. U-M went 25-7 on the season, the second-best win total and highest winning percentage in program history. The Wolverines picked up eight wins over ranked teams, again setting a new program standard. Michigan was ranked in both polls throughout the season, garnering the first top-five and top-10 rankings in school history. U-M finished No. 12 in the AP poll and No. 7 in the USA Today Coaches poll, both program highs. The Wolverines hosted the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament for the first time as a No. 3 seed, recording wins over American and Villanova to punch their Sweet 16 ticket for the second straight season before knocking out South Dakota to advance. U-M went 16-0 at Crisler Center, the first undefeated home season in program history while averaging 3,676 fans.

Hillmon was a unanimous and consensus All-Big Ten first teamer, making her the first player in program history to earn four first-team nods. She also earned All-America first-team honors from the WBCA, USBWA, Associated Press, The Athletic, Sports Illustrated and the Wooden Award. Leigha Brown was named to the All-Big Ten second team, with Phelia grabbing a spot on the all-freshman team. The Wolverines put 10 on the Academic All-Big Ten team, while Brown, Maddie Nolan, Danielle Rauch and Emily Kiser were named CoSIDA Academic All-District.

While pursuing his master's degree in Sport Management at Michigan, Rafferty was an integral member of the support staff for the Wolverines. During his time on staff, Michigan made its first-ever NCAA Sweet 16 appearance in 2020-21, following a 21-win campaign in the shortened 2019-20 season.

Rafferty helped create and execute individualized player development plans for the student-athletes in the program over the last two seasons, while also directing and managing the practice squad. He implemented opposing teams' schemes and tendencies to help prepare Michigan for its opponents.

He assisted with the execution of film for practice and games, both of Michigan and the opponent. Rafferty also helped manage the recruiting database and assisted in the operations of travel. He assisted in the coordination of recruiting visits and also served as a director of summer camps.

Rafferty joined the Wolverines as a graduate manager after playing with the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the NBA G-League affiliate of the Miami Heat. He averaged 19 minutes per game as a reserve during his stint with the Skyforce in 2019.

While pursuing his professional playing career, Rafferty held many jobs in the Ann Arbor area. He coached U-M's Chinese Club basketball team, coached at Central Academy and served as a personal trainer from September of 2017 until being called up to the Skyforce in February of 2019.

Rafferty served as a player development coach for Integrity Hoops in both Exeter, New Hampshire, and Los Angeles, California from 2010-17. He has executed personal 1-on-1 coaching sessions with numerous professional players, including U-M greats Moritz Wagner and Duncan Robinson, as well as assisting Noah LaRoche (founder/owner of Integrity Hoops) in the development of players such as Russell Westbrook, Diana Taurasi, and Breanna Stewart, among others.

He graduated from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, in 2017 with a degree in American studies and a concentration in African-American History. Rafferty was a four-year starting guard for Wesleyan, ending his career with 1,129 career points and graduating as the career leader in three-point field goals made (194). He helped lead the team to the 2014-15 NESCAC championship, the first in school history, and two appearances in the NCAA Division III Tournament. A three-time member of the NESCAC All-Academic Team, he was the Wesleyan Men's Basketball Student-Athlete of the Year in 2015 and 2016.

Rafferty graduated from Berwick Academy (ME) in 2012 before gathering a postgraduate degree from Phillips Exeter Academy (NH) in 2013. He played AAU basketball with the prestigious Middlesex Magic program out of Boston, Massachusetts, as well as Maine Basketball Nation out of Saco, Maine, during his prep years.