Most people in their right mind wouldn't question the hiring of women's basketball coach Kevin Borseth with his impressive track record.

If that's the case, it might be time for fans to start acting a little crazy.

The former Wisconsin-Green Bay coach compiled an impressive 216-62 record in nine years, winning a conference championship every season.

And if that isn't enough of an accomplishment on its own, Borseth won 225 games at Michigan Tech prior to his success at Wisconsin-Green Bay.

So is there any reason to think Borseth won't be a solid replacement for retired coach Cheryl Burnett?

Absolutely.

There is a key similarity between Borseth and Burnett: They both come to Michigan after enjoying success in mid-major conferences.

I'll be the first to say there is nothing inherently wrong with that. Both Borseth and Burnett did incredible things at their respective schools - much more than Michigan's program has ever done.

Michigan's athletic department was in a similar situation four years ago, looking to replace Sue Guevara, who had resigned.

Burnett's hiring looked like a great one, as she was an accomplished name in the coaching ranks. In 15 years, Burnett led Southwest Missouri State to more than 300 wins, 10 NCAA Tournament berths and two Final Four appearances.

But now, four years later, it's difficult to tell which was more extreme - the height of the bar fans set for Burnett's program when she took over or the depth of the fall her team took in so little time.

In four years, Burnett compiled a measly 35-83 record, winning just 10 games in Big Ten play. Borseth won at least 12 conference games in each of his nine seasons at Wisconsin-Green Bay.

But coaching at the Big Ten level is clearly different than doing the same in the Missouri Valley Conference or the Horizon League.

The same can be said about recruiting.

You generally need better players at this level to win. With that said, new coaches must either learn the area quickly or already have a name established for themselves locally.

Burnett had no ties to the state of Michigan before coming to Ann Arbor. Borseth, on the other hand, coached at Michigan Tech to start his career. A Bessemer native, Borseth claims he's "always been a Michigan Man."

But Borseth will no longer be recruiting against schools like Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Instead, he'll have to convince elite in-state talent to choose Michigan over recently successful Michigan State, which has made five consecutive NCAA Tournaments.

Though the gap between the programs has grown over the last five years, it's important to remember that Michigan State used to be no better than Michigan. Prior to 2003, the Spartans had just four seasons with 20 wins or better.

But just like how Michigan State improved with a coaching change, the Wolverines can, too.

The fact Borseth wants help with his Michigan ties doesn't hurt either.

The acquisition of newly hired associate head coach Dawn Plitzuweit, who left her job as Grand Valley State's head coach to come to Michigan, will aid Borseth in his recruiting efforts.

Borseth should try to convince Autumn Rademacher, who was his assistant at Wisconsin-Green Bay, to work on his staff. Rademacher, a Traverse City native, played at Detroit and was an assistant at Western Michigan for seven years.

But regardless of what Borseth does, it's clear recruiting will be a huge determinant in the program's success - just ask Michigan Tech coach John Barnes.

"He's definitely got a challenge ahead of him," said Barnes, who was an assistant under Borseth at Tech. "He did a great job by getting coach Plitzuweit from Grand Valley to come with him because she's an outstanding recruiter and knows the circuits very well. But I think recruiting is going to be a big factor."

If Borseth can excel at recruiting in the area, he can finally put the fans' minds at ease.