Missouri Tigers AD Desiree Reed-Francois leaves for same job with Arizona Wildcats

Athletic director Desireé Reed-Francois is leaving the University of Missouri for the same job with the University of Arizona.

ESPN’s Pete Thamel was first to report the news of Arizona’s intent on Monday morning. The Athletic’s Nicole Auerbach soon after reported that Reed-Francois’ hire was official.

On its website, Arizona later announced that, pending approval by its board of regents, Reed-Francois will receive a five-year contract at Arizona, where she received her law degree.

Her first day on the new job in Tucson is March 3 and Arizona begins its first year as a member of the Big 12 Conference this fall.

“Leaving behind such an amazing fan base is not easy,” Reed-Francois wrote, in part, in a message posted to her X account. “But as I embark on this new chapter back to my alma mater, I carry with me cherished memories of our time together. Thank you once again for your unwavering support, your passion, and your dedication.”

Hired at Mizzou in 2021 after four years as athletic director at UNLV, Reed-Francois oversaw the contract extension for Tigers football coach Eli Drinkwitz, who led MU to 11 wins and a top 10 ranking last fall.

She also hired Dennis Gates to coach the Tigers men’s basketball program. Gates last season led Missouri to its first win in the NCAA Tournament in 13 years, but the Tigers are 8-17 overall (0-12 SEC) this season.

The departure of Reed-Francois leaves Mizzou looking for an athletic director for the fourth time since Mike Alden’s departure in 2015. Here’s the list of Tigers ADs since then: Mack Rhoades 2015-2016; Jim Sterk 2016-2021; Reed-Francois 2021-2024.

The contract agreement reached between Arizona and Reed-Francois features an annual base salary of $1 million, with an additional $250,000 contribution from the university’s foundation. The contact includes other opportunities for incentives based on the Wildcats’ success in athletics and academics.

Thamel’s ESPN’s story notes that “Reed-Francois is the second athletic director to leave Missouri for a Big 12 job in the last decade, as former athletic director Mack Rhoades left Missouri in 2016 for Baylor. Reed-Francois’ decision comes at a time when the financial gaps between the leagues are distinctly more pronounced, as the SEC and Big Ten are pulling away from the other leagues.”

ESPN’s story also mentions this: “Missouri athletics reported a $15 million athletics surplus in the 2022 fiscal year. That ended a run of five years of Missouri operating at a deficit. Her ability to handle finances and fund raise were part of the attraction to Arizona officials, as Missouri saw increases in attendance and the athletic department received a record $62 million gift earlier this month.”

In all, Reed-Francois hired six head coaches for Missouri athletics during her 2 1/2 years in Columbia, and she exits after a strong past few months. A consultant was recently hired for a significant planned upgrade to Memorial Stadium and the department received a record $62 million donation earlier this month.

It’s a time of change for Arizona, too. Along with making the jump to the Big 12 and facing a sizable budget deficit in the school’s athletic department, the Wildcats recently hired a new football coach.

Former San Jose State coach Brent Brennan was hired this offseason to replace Jedd Fisch, who took the Washington Huskies’ head coaching job that became vacant when Kalen DeBoer left Seattle for the same position at Alabama.

Jaden Lewis contributed to this report via The Star’s Missouri Tigers coverage partnership with the Columbia Daily Tribune.

This story was originally published February 19, 2024 at 11:45 AM.