(WFRV) – It still feels surreal for Kayla Karius.
A Green Bay alum now in her second season leading the very program she once starred for,
Karius occasionally has to stop and take it all in — pregame introductions, a home court that’s
become a destination for fans and a nightmare for opponents, and a community that continues
to lead the league in attendance year after year.
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Add in young kids lining up for autographs, dreaming of one day wearing green and white, and it’s easy to understand why she sometimes has to pinch herself.
Karius deeply cares about the Green Bay way — and Green Bay cares deeply about its women’s basketball program.
It’s a perfect fit. Green Bay didn’t just make a good hire.
They hit the jackpot.
Replacing a legend
How do you replace a legend? You don’t.
Kevin Borseth’s résumé speaks for itself. A nine-time Horizon League Coach of the Year, Borseth led Green Bay to 20 regular-season conference titles, 13 NCAA Tournament appearances, the most conference wins in league history, and a winning percentage north of 70 percent. Across two stints spanning 21 seasons, he transformed the Phoenix into one of the nation’s premier mid-major programs.
The man quite literally has a street named after him when you arrive on campus at the Kress
Events Center.
Borseth is a legend — and Karius understood early that embracing his presence, rather than running from it, would only help. His continued involvement — breaking down film, attending practice, offering perspective — has been invaluable. While many new head coaches rush to establish their own identity, Green Bay already had one.
Karius didn’t need to create it. She lived it.
As a player, she helped lead the Phoenix to the program’s longest NCAA Tournament run,
reaching the Sweet 16, while earning Horizon League Player of the Year honors.
She understands what it takes to be successful in the women’s basketball program.
A Fast Start
In less than two seasons, Kayla Karius has guided Green Bay to 47 wins against just 11 losses, a regular-season conference title, a conference tournament championship, an NCAA
Tournament appearance and a staggering 35–1 record in Horizon League play.
A fast start would be an understatement.
Becoming just the fourth head coach in program history comes with weight — expectations,
pressure and the demand to win. It’s a burden Karius doesn’t shy away from.
“This was established well before I got here, and now it’s my duty to carry it forward,” Karius
said. “I don’t think of it as pressure. I’m living my dream every day. I’m fueled by the passion I
have for this place — that’s what keeps me pushing to make it better and to stay on top.”
A dream scenario, sure — and the definition of a perfect hire.
Owning Change
When Karius arrived on campus, she inherited a full house.
One of the most decorated senior classes in program history was entering its final run — a
group coming off a 27-win season and an NCAA Tournament appearance. The foundation was
solid. The expectations were clear.
Karius didn’t need to reinvent anything. She just needed to make sure her coaching style didn’t
get in the way.
“They were such a well-oiled machine,” Karius said. “They had it going in the right direction. I
had to change my tune to fit them. What they had going? It worked. I would’ve been crazy to
change that.”
Instead of forcing change, the first-year head coach adapted to her players. The result: another
NCAA Tournament trip and a 29-win season in year one.
Then reality hit.
Seven seniors graduated. Seven of the team’s eight leading scorers departed. Almost overnight,
Green Bay faced a roster rebuild, nearly from scratch.
Karius responded by bringing in six transfers and two true freshmen, five with deep ties to
Northeast Wisconsin. A full reset. Unknowns everywhere.
“The people who joined our program did so because they wanted the target on their back,”
Karius said.
Teaching the Green Bay system to an entirely new group wasn’t simple.
“This is the type of system kids learn as freshmen, develop as sophomores, and master by their
senior year,” Karius reflected. “It’s never turned over like this.”
That’s where Borseth’s presence mattered again.
“I spent a lot of time with Kevin this offseason asking, ‘How would you teach this system to a
brand-new group?’ We took pieces of what he said and made it our own.”
The results speak loudly.
Green Bay sits at 18–5 overall, a perfect 13–0 in conference play, unbeaten at home, and riding
a 10-game winning streak.
That’s recruiting. That’s coaching. That’s teaching — and understanding there is no pause button on the Green Bay way.
Unsung Heroes
Programs like this don’t succeed alone.
Players execute. Coaches lead. Fans show up. Donors invest. Administration supports. The Green Bay way is built by committee.
Few embody that more than assistant coach Sarah Bronk, who is nearing two decades with the program.
Local recruiting has long been a cornerstone of Green Bay’s success, and Bronk has been at
the center of it. Her relationships — with high school coaches, players, and families — are
foundational.
“She’s incredibly loyal. She’s incredibly bought in,” Karius said. “She’s here for the right
reasons.”
When Karius accepted the head coaching job in spring 2024, multiple coaches echoed the same message: keep Bronk.
The trust was already there — Bronk coached Karius during her playing days.
“In this industry, a lot of assistants are chasing the next move,” Karius said. “You don’t see that
with her. Not because she isn’t achieving great things, but because she’s so invested in this
place.”
That investment shows up everywhere — on the recruiting trail, in scouting, and in the
classroom.
“She’s calling people’s grandmas to wish them happy birthday,” Karius said with a smile. “Academically, she’s taken this program to another level. We’ve been No. 1 nationally in team
GPA five times.”
Green Bay roots run deep in Super Bowl LX through multiple Notre Dame Academy alums
‘This is Home’
Home is where your heart is.
For Karius, that’s northeast Wisconsin.
She grew up an hour south in Sheboygan, then starred at Green Bay, helping open the Kress Events Center and laying the foundation for what the home court has become.
“It’s magical,” Karius said. “A building is just a building without fans. The people are what make
it special.”
Green Bay women’s basketball has mastered connecting with its community — recruiting locally, building relationships and giving fans a team they recognize and take pride in.
That’s why Athletic Director Josh Moon didn’t just make a hire. He hired someone who embodies the Green Bay way.
“I feel incredibly blessed to be here,” Karius said. “This place means so much to me. I want to
see it flourish and give back as much as I can.”
Karius is only one full season in, though she’s already earned a contract extension through the
2030–31 season.
How this era is ultimately defined remains to be seen. What’s already clear—the person leading northeast Wisconsin’s Division I women’s basketball powerhouse understands exactly what this place stands for.
“This is the program I’ve loved since I was a little girl,” Karius said. “I’m living my dream.”
The Green Bay way continues—and so does the winning.
