Brought in to help balance the books, Arizona is now looking to keep Desiree Reed-Francois around a little longer.
The Arizona Board of Regents is set to discuss a proposed 3-year contract extension for Reed-Francois, through March 20232, at its meeting Thursday in Flagstaff.
Reed-Francois, 54, has been AD since March 2024 after the school parted ways with Dave Heeke. Hired away from Missouri, Reed-Francois was tasked with eliminating a major budget shortfall that was impacting the university. According
to ABOR documents, the athletic department was $39 million in the red when she arrived.
In addition to fixing the budget, Reed-Francois has been at the forefront of securing naming rights for both Arizona Stadium and McKale Center, deals that $87 million in revenue. She has also made coaching hires for women’s basketball, women’s golf, swimming, cross country/track and while securing contract extensions with men’s basketball coach Tommy Lloyd, football coach Brent Brennan and baseball coach Chip Hale, among others.
The Lloyd extension, agreed to during Arizona’s run to its first Final Four appearance since 2001, included language that has Lloyd no longer reporting to Reed-Francois but instead to school president Suresh Garimella.
Reed-Francois, who is set to earn $1.35 million in the third year of her current 5-year contract, will make $1.4 million in the first year of the new deal and average $1.5 million. If she were to leave for another job she would owe $800,000 during the first year, dropping to $500K in the second year, $250 in the third and $125K in the fourth.
