Missouri athletic director Desiree Reed-Francois is on the move once again, this time she is heading back to her alma mater. According to a release from the school, Reed-Francois is leaving the SEC to take over as athletic director at the University of Arizona.
The new athletic director will have her work cut out for her given the $177 million shortfall. Reed-Francois will likely be in the middle of the discussions as far as cutting sports if needed as the school president mentioned last year when the report surfaced.
Reed-Francois served as the Missouri AD from 2021 to the present. Prior to her post, she served as the AD with UNLV from 2017 to 2021. She will need to lean on her two decades of experience working in administration with this new gig will have its challenges.
“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,” said President Robert C. Robbins. “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.”