The University of Arizona is expected to hire Missouri athletic director Desireé Reed-Francois as the school's next AD, sources told ESPN.
The surprise move will be formalized soon, according to sources, as Reed-Francois is expected to agree to a five-year deal. The hire gives Arizona's financially strapped athletic department a veteran leader who has spent nearly three years leading Missouri.
The move from the SEC to Arizona, which will enter the Big 12 next year, is unexpected within the college sports industry. Sources told ESPN that Reed-Francois' ties to Arizona, which include graduating from law school there in 1997, helped make the decision.
The move also comes just weeks after Missouri's board of trustees voted to create the Mizzou Special Committee on Intercollegiate Athletics, a four-member panel to monitor Missouri sports.
Hiring an acting athletic director from the SEC is a strong statement for Arizona president Bobby Robbins, who is dealing with significant financial issues at the school. There was skepticism about the caliber of athletic director he could get when he began the search, as the school has been mired in negative financial headlines.
Reed-Francois has more than seven years of experience as an athletic director from her time at UNLV and Missouri and a long history of leadership at places like Virginia Tech, Cincinnati and Tennessee.
“While this may surprise some, those who know Desireé best know that she enjoys a challenge, is a builder and does not let herself be intimidated,” said a source familiar with the decision.
She will become the first athletic director to hold a full-time position in Arizona. When Reed-Francois was hired at UNLV in 2017, she became the first Hispanic woman to be an athletic director at the FBS level.
Part of the attraction of the job for Reed-Francois, sources said, was the opportunity to put Arizona back on stronger financial footing. The school suddenly fired athletic director Dave Heeke late last month, nearly a week after hiring new football coach Brent Brennan.
This hiring comes at a time of fiscal uncertainty for both Arizona and Arizona athletics, as the school faces a reported deficit of $177 million. The athletics department is also struggling financially, as Robbins has said he has borrowed more than $80 million from the university in recent years.
Reed-Francois is the second athletic director to leave Missouri for a Big 12 job in the last decade, as former AD Mack Rhoades departed for Baylor in 2016. Reed-Francois' decision comes at a time when gaps finances between conferences are much higher. pronounced, with the SEC and Big Ten pulling away from the other leagues.
Reed-Francois helped reverse a negative budget trend during her time at Missouri. Missouri athletics reported a $15 million surplus in fiscal year 2022. That ended a five-year streak of operating at a deficit. His ability to handle finances and raise money was part of the appeal for Arizona officials, as Missouri saw increases in attendance and the athletics department received a record $62 million donation earlier this month.
Arizona also noted Missouri's innovative work in the NIL space during its time there. Missouri was at the forefront of local NIL legislation, as Governor Mike Parson signed House Bill 417 in July, which gives the university a major recruiting advantage in the state by allowing recruits to start to earn NIL money while in high school when they sign with state-run schools.
Reed-Francois leaves Missouri with the football program after one of its strongest seasons in recent history, as the Tigers completed the program's first 11-win campaign since 2014. He hired men's basketball coach Dennis Gates, who led the program to its first NCAA. tournament victory in 13 years in 2023. However, the Tigers have held their own this season, having gone 8-17 overall and 0-12 in the SEC.
At UNLV, Reed-Francois recruited TJ Otzelberger, who thrived at Iowa State. His replacement, Kevin Kruger, is 51-37.
In Arizona, Reed-Francois inherits Brennan just weeks after he took over the football program. He arrives from San José State into a season of high expectations. Third-year basketball coach Tommy Lloyd is 81-16 and in line for another high NCAA tournament berth, as his 81 wins are the most in a school's first three seasons in an important conference.
Arizona football is poised to be among the favorites in the Big 12 in 2024, as receiver Tetairoa McMillan is among the best at his position in the country and quarterback Noah Fifita earns the freshman award Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year in 2023.
