Missouri athletic director Desiree Reed Francois is expected to leave the Tigers to take up the same position with the University of Arizona on a five-year deal, a source confirms to PowerMizzou.
Reed-Francois, who went to law school at Arizona, was appointed as the first woman and the 21st AD overall in school history in Aug. 2021, is making the expected move 10 months after she signed an extension that was supposed to keep her in Columbia through June 30, 2028.
Before she took the job at Missouri she had a four-year stint at UNLV (2017-21).
During her tenure at Missouri, she hired men's basketball coach Dennis Gates, volleyball head coach Dawn Sullivan, baseball head coach Kerrick Jackson, tennis head coach Bianca Turati, men's golf head coach Glen Millican and women's golf head coach Caroline Westrup.
In 2022, gymnastics placed in the top 10 of the NCAA Tournament.
In the 2022-23 season, the men's basketball team went 25-10 and made the second round of the NCAA tournament.
Sullivan was named the 2023 SEC Coach of the Year after the Tigers reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Keegan O’Toole, a two-time national championship wrestler, won two conference titles and finished in the Top 10 at the NCAA Championship in consecutive seasons.
The football team earned bowl bids in all three seasons under Reed-Francois, highlighted by an 11-2 record and a win over Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl this past season.
Football head coach Eli Drinkwitz was named the 2023 SEC Coach of the Year, while four players were named AP All-Americans, including top 10 Heisman finalist Cody Schrader.
Reed-Francois is credited with the construction of the six-month-old Stephens Indoor Practice facility, improving the game-day experience for fans and exponentially growing the Tiger Scholarship Fund membership.
PowerMizzou will keep you updated as more information becomes available.
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