Arizona Wildcats Re-Sign Adia Barnes To 4-Year Contract Extension

TUCSON, AZ — The University of Arizona has signed women's basketball head coach Adia Barnes to a four-year contract extension.

Barnes, who has led the Wildcats to the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament for the first time in 16 years, has served in her current role since 2016.

She has posted an 84-65 record since returning to Tucson, where she played between 1994-98, earning the Pac-10 Player of the Year award during her senior season.

Her tenure in Tucson has included a Women's National Invitational Tournament title in 2019, as well as three-straight 20-win seasons.

Arizona Vice President of Athletics Dave Heeke expressed gratitude and support for Barnes' success at the school in a university press release.

“We are thrilled that Adia will lead our women’s basketball program for years to come,” Heeke said. “Adia has built a nationally-prominent program in a short amount of time that achieves excellence on the court, in the classroom and in the community.

"Her dedication to coaching and developing student-athletes is rivaled by her passion for our university, our athletics department and our Southern Arizona community. Under her outstanding leadership, Arizona Women’s Basketball has become a national brand and we cannot wait to see where Adia takes us.”

Barnes and the Wildcats have broken a number of school records during the 2020-21 regular season, including their 13-week run in the top-10 of the Associated Press' weekly poll.

The sixth-year head coach thanked the school's leadership for their support of her program during her tenure.

“The university has made a commitment to women’s basketball with this contract, and I intend to work tirelessly and with great passion to honor that commitment daily by coaching teams that compete with the intensity and pride that are foundational to our success," Barnes said in the release. "It is an honor to lead my alma mater and represent the University of Arizona, one of the top public institutions in the country.

"Collectively, it is our goal to honor Tucson and the University of Arizona by embracing March Madness every year. Finally, I want to thank the entire Arizona fan base for their unconditional support, and I can’t wait to celebrate and compete in front of all of you in person in the future.”

Barnes and the third-seeded Wildcats kick off the team's first March Madness appearance since 2005 against 14 seed Stony Brook at 2 p.m. Arizona time on Monday.