University of Arizona introduces Desireé Reed-Francois as Director of Athletics
TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) - Veteran athletics administrator Desireé Reed-Francois was introduced as the University of Arizona’s new Director of Athletics on Tuesday, Feb. 20.
The university held a press conference to welcome Reed-Francois at Arizona Stadium. She was joined by her husband and son, along with University of Arizona President Robert Robbins.
Her appointment must be approved by the Arizona Board of Regents but her first day on the job is set for March 3.
Reed-Francois had plenty of success as athletic director at the University of Missouri and UNLV before that. Now she comes to Arizona Athletics as the department addresses a $30 million deficit.
“We have a $3 billion goal that I am confident we’re going to exceed,” Robbins said. “Athletics is a big part of that. We have already had tremendous support from our donors to support our athletics programs and I think it will continue to grow, especially under Desiree’s leadership.”
Reed-Francois outlined a few things she plans to tackle first.
“We’ve got to dive into that budget and figure out where we are and where there are opportunities for growth,” she said. “We’ll do some data analytics, look at where we compare with the rest of our Big 12 comparators, and then we’re going to figure out how we’re going to do it.”
She’s set to become the school’s first female athletic director, which means a lot to some of the student-athletes and head basketball coach Adia Barnes.
“Strong leadership with a woman is powerful for all women athletics,” Barnes said. “To see it, to be it. I think about my job, I’m a minority in my job. There aren’t a lot of women at the level that I’m at. She’s strong, she has a presence, she has experience, and is someone who will lead this department very well. I’m just excited to see what the future holds.”
Barnes is also excited to see another alumni return to Arizona. Reed-Francois earned her doctorate from the university’s College of Law. That time here, and the support she got after her brother suffered a bad sports injury in California, is part of why she chose to come back.
“Everybody in the administration to my professors, they all checked in to see if I was doing ok,” said Reed-Francois. “It meant a lot. I felt very seen and cared for.”
“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Desireé to the University of Arizona family, and we could not be more excited about the leadership experience and outstanding credentials she brings,” Robbins said. “Respected nationally for her commitment to student-athletes, Desireé has a history of success everywhere she’s served and is exactly the right person we need to modernize our athletics operations and usher in an ongoing culture of success in all aspects of Athletics. This is a tremendous win for our university and I cannot wait for her to get started.”
Reed-Francois has served as the Director of Athletics at the University of Missouri since 2021, raising the program’s profile over the past several years to include a top-10 football program, postseason berths across multiple sports, and enhancements to student-athlete welfare and support.
“There are very few institutions that would entice me to leave an SEC athletics department with strong momentum,” Reed-Francois saud. “The University of Arizona has tremendous potential and is an institution — and an athletics program — on the rise, and I want to be a part of shaping that future. We will provide a world-class student-athlete experience, which includes competing for championships and being among the nation’s elite. I am grateful to President Robbins and the Arizona Board of Regents for this incredible opportunity.”
Reed-Francois currently is the Vice Chair of the Lead1 Association Board of Directors and serves on the organization’s executive committee, as well as on the boards of Women Leaders in Sports, the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and the National Coalition of Minority Football Coaches. Reed-Francois recently served as Vice Chair of the NCAA Baseball Selection Committee and formerly was a member of the College Football Playoff Committee’s operations committee. In addition, she is a member of the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators (NACMA) and has been a presenter at NACDA, NACMA, Women Leaders in Sports, and Sports Business Journal’s annual conventions.
Reed-Francois was a rower at UCLA, where she graduated with a degree in political science before earning her juris doctorate from the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law. She is a member of the State Bar of California and has taught law classes at the University of Tennessee and Santa Clara University.
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