Bear Down Wildcats

Posted: **Tue May 04, 2021 12:19 pm**

Good for her!

Posted: **Tue May 04, 2021 12:44 pm**

Lifetime contract.

Fuck ABOR. Give it to her and make them give a reason why they decided it can’t happen.

Posted: **Tue May 04, 2021 12:52 pm**

So less than half what CTL makes. Where does her salary rank among all the coaches? Hopefully we fill McKale next year and get the salaries even more equitable in the future.

Edit: Outdated but she would be the 3rd highest paid coach at UA. Good for her

https://www.azdesertswarm.com/2020/7/23 ... ler-sumlin

https://www.wildcat.arizona.edu/page/un ... ase-fy2020

Posted: **Tue May 04, 2021 1:03 pm**

$5.85M.

Lloyd gets $15.5 million for the same period and has not won a single basketball game.

Reminds me when Stoops was brought in making more than Lute, with no wins to his credit either.

Posted: **Tue May 04, 2021 1:28 pm**

I was nervous only because the grownups aren't in charge. But I'm feeling like the new fan base Adia built is only going to grow, and keep cycling back in the form of more pay and support. The love for her in Tucson is magical.

Posted: **Tue May 04, 2021 1:31 pm**

Well that's a very nice jump. Wonder if her agent had a quick chat with Baylor and then called Heeke up.

VERY well deserved for her. Want a lifetime contract for her

Posted: **Tue May 04, 2021 4:23 pm**

This is awesome news.
and yes
lifetime her right now

Posted: **Wed May 05, 2021 4:07 pm**

Love Adia and I think she has helped restock the cabinet with transfers but I would caution any team with a transcending player on what life really looks like after her. Hope she can fill Lute's House in the coming year and help offset that salary. She has brought a truckload of recognition to the program and the school. This is a real inflection point in my view.

My fear is what is the baseball coach expecting with a top ten conference winning team. Make no mistake this guy has done a hell of a job too. Just don't know where the money is going to come from.

Posted: **Wed May 05, 2021 9:32 pm**

Well this is a happy surprise! Glad our university is finally doing something right.

Posted: **Thu May 06, 2021 3:43 pm**

Posted: **Tue May 11, 2021 4:28 pm**

Thought I would put this here since it's about Adia, https://www.azdesertswarm.com/basketbal ... ll-rebuild

Posted: **Tue May 11, 2021 9:17 pm**

Irish27 wrote: Tue May 11, 2021 4:28 pm Thought I would put this here since it's about Adia, https://www.azdesertswarm.com/basketbal ... ll-rebuild

The fist-fights were shocking. I mean wow wtf was going on during Butts tenure that that kind of shit was acceptable?! Just makes Adia's turnaround even more amazing.

Posted: **Sun May 16, 2021 11:48 am**

Did not know where to put this post but because Adia is such a big social media person, I decided to post it here. She has done such a great job promoting the UofA.

Posted: **Thu Jun 24, 2021 4:20 pm**

TheCat wrote: Wed May 05, 2021 4:07 pm Love Adia and I think she has helped restock the cabinet with transfers but I would caution any team with a transcending player on what life really looks like after her. Hope she can fill Lute's House in the coming year and help offset that salary. She has brought a truckload of recognition to the program and the school. This is a real inflection point in my view.

My fear is what is the baseball coach expecting with a top ten conference winning team. Make no mistake this guy has done a hell of a job too. Just don't know where the money is going to come from.

YEP. Saw a study once that says relative worth perception are stronger that actual pay. Compared janitor and office administrators when one got a raise and the other didn't. Half of the other group quit and they still made more than the other group and comparable to their peers in other organizations.

Posted: **Sat Sep 18, 2021 11:17 pm**

So....with the football team losing to nau....can we just go ahead and give Adia another raise and a lifetime contract right now?

Posted: **Sat Sep 18, 2021 11:45 pm**

The best UA sports team and it isn't even close.

Posted: **Wed Mar 12, 2025 7:19 pm**

Arizona’s Adia Barnes rumored to be in the mix for head job at Auburn

https://www.azdesertswarm.com/basketbal ... job-auburn

Posted: **Fri Mar 14, 2025 12:59 pm**

Sounds like that isn't the case:

Posted: **Fri Mar 14, 2025 1:08 pm**

So it was floated to get the AZ admin to commit to Adia.

Perfect.

Posted: **Fri Mar 14, 2025 1:08 pm**

Chicat wrote: Fri Mar 14, 2025 1:08 pm So it was floated to get the AZ admin to commit to Adia.

Perfect.

An ago old tradition in coaching circles.

Posted: **Fri Mar 14, 2025 1:10 pm**

azgreg wrote: Fri Mar 14, 2025 1:08 pm
Chicat wrote: Fri Mar 14, 2025 1:08 pm So it was floated to get the AZ admin to commit to Adia.

Perfect.
An ago old tradition in coaching circles.

Makes me feel all warm on the inside that some traditions will never go away.

Posted: **Fri Mar 14, 2025 1:36 pm**

Why would any major conference team even be interested in a coach on the hot seat, especially one of the top 10 highest paid in the nation?

Posted: **Fri Mar 14, 2025 4:27 pm**

Merkin wrote: Fri Mar 14, 2025 1:36 pm Why would any major conference team even be interested in a coach on the hot seat, especially one of the top 10 highest paid in the nation?

Maybe they'd like to go to the NCAA's for several years in a row?

And, look who Adia could bring first year??

Posted: **Sat Mar 15, 2025 1:44 pm**

Could this tweet mean we're keeping her? It would seem to weird to tweet this and then fire her.

Posted: **Sat Mar 15, 2025 1:55 pm**

Sounds like she's getting extended.

Posted: **Mon Mar 24, 2025 2:34 pm**

Next year is going to be rough...

Posted: **Mon Mar 24, 2025 3:27 pm**

Because of the transfer portal, it is not going to be as bad if Adia does not return after next year.

Posted: **Mon Mar 24, 2025 7:11 pm**

Maybe she could portal in a team?

Posted: **Tue Mar 25, 2025 8:24 am**

Just read Jada's announcement of entering the portal - notable that there is no mention of Adia at all...

... Jada couldn't have asked for more support from her coach - playing time, tolerance of too often ball-hogging, face-of-the-team for two years...

There is still good core talent, especially if young players continue to develop - that's a positive. and the culture of defensive commitment and 40 minutes of high effort is already there.

Yet, surely more will leave?

One or two good portal transfers could make this team competitive...

Posted: **Tue Mar 25, 2025 8:27 am**

pc in NM wrote: Tue Mar 25, 2025 8:24 am ... Jada couldn't have asked for more support from her coach - playing time, tolerance of too often ball-hogging, face-of-the-team for two years...

We don’t know what goes on behind the scenes.

Posted: **Tue Mar 25, 2025 8:40 am**

Chicat wrote: Tue Mar 25, 2025 8:27 am
pc in NM wrote: Tue Mar 25, 2025 8:24 am ... Jada couldn't have asked for more support from her coach - playing time, tolerance of too often ball-hogging, face-of-the-team for two years...
We don’t know what goes on behind the scenes.

I watched almost every women's game this year (one big improvement for this fan was the switch from Pac-12 Network to ESPN+ for primary access) - I especially liked watching a bunch of new players integrate together, and saw several improve - for such a young group, this was fun, and I'm looking forward to how they develop next season.

We only see what's put out in public, agreed, but, one can observe player interactions, especially non-verbal cues, and (I think) I saw many times when Jada was gunning away and other players displayed obvious frustration; and I DID see a couple of times that when Jada was benched (minor injury, fouls, etc.) that there was immediate improvement in ball movement, and assisted baskets - which, I will add, Jada often would continue when inserted back into the game - she is a gamer!!.

Jada is a good offensive player - not exceptional - but I've never seen any player exert such energy every minute on the floor, and she's an absolutely gifted at taking a charge. Still, there appeared to be some chemistry issues. And, I guess that transfer season is when some of that emerges from behind the scenes...

Posted: **Tue Mar 25, 2025 8:42 am**

pc in NM wrote: Tue Mar 25, 2025 8:24 am Yet, surely more will leave?

Sounds like quite a few.

Posted: **Tue Mar 25, 2025 8:48 am**

AZCatGirl wrote: Tue Mar 25, 2025 8:42 am
pc in NM wrote: Tue Mar 25, 2025 8:24 am Yet, surely more will leave?
Sounds like quite a few.

How about a "Women's Transfer Palooza" Thread" here?

Posted: **Tue Mar 25, 2025 9:29 am**

Posted: **Fri Apr 04, 2025 11:11 pm**

And so ends the Adia Barnes era.

Posted: **Sat Apr 05, 2025 5:00 am**

Some mixed feelings here. For one, she put us on the map and dragged us out of the Butts debacle. Plus her place in our history as a player can’t be ignored. But obviously there were some player relations issues that caused a lot of turnover and without Aari she never could replicate the highs we experienced during her time on the team.

I wish Adia the best, but it feels like the right time for both her and the program to go their separate ways. I appreciate what she did to take us to the Championship, and I hope whoever we hire can provide a more sustained success for the team.

Posted: **Sat Apr 05, 2025 7:11 am**

Sad to see her go, but probably best for all involved.

Curious to see how many current players follow her to SMU.

Cats will be rebuilding almost from scratch.

Also wonder how our fan base takes this, and if attendance can remain high.

BTFD!!!!

Posted: **Sat Apr 05, 2025 9:17 am**

CBS story - by Scheer

Adia Barnes leaving Arizona for SMU

By Jason Scheer

Arizona women's basketball is in search of a new head coach as Adia Barnes is expected to be named the next head coach at SMU. The news was first reported by Talia Goodman of On3Sports.

The move finalizes a messy situation between Barnes and the Arizona Athletic Department. Next season would be the final year of Barnes' contract and sources have consistently told WildcatAuthority that Athletic Director Desiree Reed-Francois had no intention of signing Barnes to an extension.

Knowing this, Barnes tried to force Arizona's hand recently by insinuating to others that she was a candidate for the head coach opening at Auburn. Sources say that when Arizona did research into the situation, it found out that Auburn never seriously considered Barnes due to the buyout and other factors.

By leaving to SMU, Reed-Francois is basically able to do her coaching search one year early, as Barnes was extremely unlikely to last past next season.

Unfortunately, the last few years have been met with controversy. Seven players have already entered the transfer portal and many of Arizona's top players over the past couple of years have done the same.

Sources say there have also been financial issues with the program that were caused by overspending under the previous athletic administration.

Although Arizona missed the NCAA Tournament last season, Barnes certainly had success in her time at Arizona. The 2023-24 season saw the Wildcats earn their fourth-straight and 11th overall bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Arizona concluded the season with 18 wins that included victories over No. 15 Utah and No. 3 Stanford. The win over the Cardinal was the first at Maples Pavilion since 2001 and was the highest-ranked road win in program history.

In 2022-23, Barnes led the program to its tenth NCAA Tournament berth and its fifth 20-win season in as many years. Her squad recorded five top-25 wins and was ranked in the AP Top 25 for the entirety of its season.

The 2021-22 season was another banner season that saw Barnes become the first coach in program history to win 20 or more games in four consecutive seasons. Arizona hosted and participated in the opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament in McKale Center for the first time since 1998 while reaching a record-breaking AP national ranking as high as fourth in the nation.

Barnes became the youngest coach since 2014 to make the Final Four and was also the first coach since 2016 to reach the Final Four in their first five years as a head coach. She also helped Arizona become the first team ever to reach the National Championship game after missing the previous 10+ NCAA Tournaments.

Although the timing certainly is not perfect for Arizona, the expectation is that Reed-Francois knew this day was coming and will move relatively quickly to hire a new head coach.

Posted: **Sat Apr 05, 2025 9:26 am**

Sad ending in Tucson for one of our greatest WBB players and coaches. For the last few years, it's been troubling to hear about the issues she's obviously had with players. Maybe some of that reflected frustration with being unable to duplicate the success she had with Aari McDonald. Sometimes there's a life cycle for coaches in a given situation, and it's just time to go. Kind of discouraging end of her era, but also a bit of a relief after all the bleeding of players. Interesting to see what the future brings.

Posted: **Sat Apr 05, 2025 9:37 am**

TheCatInTheHat wrote: Sat Apr 05, 2025 9:26 am Sad ending in Tucson for one of our greatest WBB players and coaches. For the last few years, it's been troubling to hear about the issues she's obviously had with players. Maybe some of that reflected frustration with being unable to duplicate the success she had with Aari McDonald. Sometimes there's a life cycle for coaches in a given situation, and it's just time to go. Kind of discouraging end of her era, but also a bit of a relief after all the bleeding of players. Interesting to see what the future brings.

Not so sad, since she's moving on in her profession. and I, for one. will support her moving forward.

She's a good X's and O's coach, has a great emphasis on defense, and is a winner.

As for the "issues" with players, I wish I knew more details of what was going on. She's definitely a "prima donna", and she talks a good game, but all the transfers speak to something else...

Posted: **Sat Apr 05, 2025 1:44 pm**

Statement from Desiree Reed-Francois

Posted: **Thu Apr 10, 2025 12:58 pm**

https://brobible.com/sports/article/adi ... =newsbreak

Pretty much threw the school and its fans under the bus

Posted: **Thu Apr 10, 2025 1:26 pm**

azcat49 wrote: Thu Apr 10, 2025 12:58 pm https://brobible.com/sports/article/adi ... =newsbreak

Pretty much threw the school and its fans under the bus

The only criticism I see is of the lack of resources.

Nothing about school or players.

What, specifically, in her statement do you disagree with?

And. it doesn't look like anything will be different for CB, unfortunately

“We changed Arizona WBB and put it on the map… I came to Arizona when it was the lowest paying job in the P5. No one could recruit talent to Tucson, the program was a mess. We changed things. We were relentless recruiters… We won a ton with limited resources. Now that there is the portal, you cannot sustain success without resources. So, naturally, you will lose 5-7 players per year when they don’t get paid.”

-Adia Barnes via Facebook

Posted: **Thu Apr 10, 2025 1:55 pm**

Funny that she thinks she bears no responsibility for players leaving and that it’s only about the money. Seems convenient.

Posted: **Thu Apr 10, 2025 1:58 pm**

Like Chi says, she took zero responsibility for the player transfers and those assistants who left. She shaded all of the player defections to the lack of NIL monies even though the fans turned out for her in record numbers.

I am thankful for what she did but I really dislike people who don’t take responsibility and are accountable for their role in things

Posted: **Thu Apr 10, 2025 3:48 pm**

I can understand Adia's view that she built things up, deserves being compensated at a high level, and blames the available NIL pool for all of her problems. There was also an issue of a cut-back of the occasional charter flights for tough travel circumstances that may have been a sore point. But I can also understand DRF being unwilling to extend the big contract that was let to hold on to her at her peak in light of more recent performance, and for being willing to just let the inevitable happen. We don't have excess SEC football money or mega-donors who are focused on WBB. So, we have just down-sized. Not that it matters at this point, as we're rebuilding from scratch, but if anybody wants to wring their hands about something, they can worry that if Burke does well over the next few years, she might be poached by her alma mater Louisville of the ACC.

Posted: **Thu Apr 10, 2025 7:28 pm**

https://www.outkick.com/sports/coach-ad ... rogram-smu

Well at least it’s getting a lot of play. This headline reads, “Adia Barnes drops a nuke on Arizona’s program”

Posted: **Thu Apr 10, 2025 7:56 pm**

After watching her being stupidly petty on social media for years I always knew she’d go out taking the low road.

I hope SMU fucking sucks and she gets canned.

Posted: **Thu Apr 10, 2025 9:39 pm**

I never got the crazy outfits and social media stuff. Why make that statement at all?
Didn't AZ pay her really well?
I'm also find women's sports weird because of all the spouses on staff. If CSM had hired Amy, maybe her allergies wouldn't have been so bad.
Did SMU have to pay us anything?

Posted: **Fri Apr 11, 2025 2:52 am**

Postmaster wrote: Thu Apr 10, 2025 9:39 pm Didn't AZ pay her really well?

Yep, and I don’t remember her volunteering to give up some of that salary for more charter flights or as a contribution to the NIL (if that would be allowed) to keep some of her key players.

Sour grapes is the phrase that comes to mind. She wasn’t going to get another contract so she decided to soak the program in gasoline and light a match on her way out the door. Great way to tarnish your legacy.

Bear Down Wildcats

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