New Mizzou Tigers AD Desiree Reed-Francois was on campus two months ago. Here’s why
Desiree Reed-Francois was on the University of Missouri campus in June. Now, that sounds like an amazing heads up, given her status as the Tigers’ new athletic director.
But Reed-Francois, then the UNLV AD, wasn’t there to interview. The job wasn’t open. Jim Sterk was in the role and if change was imminent, only a small circle could have known.
She was on a recruiting visit with her son Jackson, who would agree to walk on to Cuonzo Martin’s basketball team next season.
Reed-Francois and Martin knew each other. While working in athletic administration at Tennessee, she was part of the committee that vetted candidates and hired Martin as men’s basketball coach. Reed-Francois remembered thinking at the time that Martin would be an ideal person to coach her son.
“I’ve had a relationship with the family for years,” Martin said. “It’s amazing it’s happened like this.”
A decade later, not only is that happening, but Jackson’s mom is now the boss of Martin, football coach Eliah Drinkwtiz and the entire athletic program with a budget of about $110 million. She begins Aug. 15 on a six-year contract that will pay her $950,000 annually, including deferred compensation.
“When I went on the interview, I asked my husband if I should wear my ‘Missouri mom’ shirt,” Reed-Francois said.
Reed-Francois said Jackson’s room is adored with a Missouri Tigers flag, pennant, and the works. And this was before the athletic director’s job came open.
When the search firm contacted Reed-Francois about the interview, she didn’t tell her son.
“Because in case they don’t offer me the job or I don’t accept it, I didn’t want him to have a negative impression of Missouri,” Reed-Francois said.
Reed-Francois was contacted by Parker Executive Search last Friday, interviewed in St. Louis on Sunday and word got out that day that she was candidate to replace Jim Sterk, who last month agreed to a buyout with two years remaining on his contract.
After agreeing to accept the job, she called Jackson.
“We’ll, you thought you were escaping your parents,” Reed-Francois said. “What would you think if your mom was the new athletic director at Mizzou? He was really, really happy. I had tears in my eyes.”
The search included conversations with more than 100 people, said university president Mun Choi. Coaches, athletes on the student-athlete advisory committee, donors, curators and more. An original list of about 30 was trimmed to seven, then four and two were interviewed. The process was scheduled for four weeks. It ended about 10 days early.
“We stopped the search on Sunday, around 1:30 p.m., because we found the right person, the very best person,” Choi said.
Reed-Francois spoke of her influences, starting with family. Her older brother, Roman, became a quadriplegic upon suffering an injury playing junior college football. He’s president of a foundation that raises research funds for spinal cord injuries.
“He personifies perseverance and determination and it’s actually because of him that I’m in college athletics and I got into college athletics to begin with,” Reed-Francois said.
She said she’s soaked up lessons from mentors at several of her career stops, including such notable coaches as Bill Walsh, Pat Summitt and Frank Beamer. Also helping her along the path were Whit Babcock, the former Missouri administrator who worked with Reed-Francois at Cincinnati and Virginia Tech. And Debbie Yow, a pioneer in college sports administration.
Reed-Francois’ sports participation experience? She was a member of the club rowing team at UCLA, and even that helped shape her interest in a life of sports.
“I’m a rower because I’m very uncoordinated and I’m almost 6 feet tall,” Reed-Francois said. “I wanted to be part of a team. I didn’t even get a varsity letter. But I loved being part of a team. You make one and other better.”
The idea is to win SEC titles and finish in the top quarter of overall athletic achievement among all schools, Reed-Francois said.
“We will keep what has worked and innovate for the future,” Reed-Francois said. “We should regularly compete for SEC championships, which will put us in the hunt for national championships.”