Arizona Women's Basketball Coach Adia Barnes Gets New Contract

TUCSON, AZ — Arizona women's basketball head coach Adia Barnes' new five-year contract will nearly double her salary in the year ahead.

Barnes, fresh off leading the Wildcats to the championship game of the 2021 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament, will make $5.85 million total, or $1.17 million per year, as part of her new contract.

Her previous deal saw her make $580,000 per year, with Arizona Director of Athletics Dave Heeke calling the school's decision to extend Barnes a no-brainer.

"As this past season made perfectly clear, Arizona Women's Basketball has joined the nation's elite under Coach Barnes' leadership and will remain there for a long time to come," Heeke said in a statement. “This new contract demonstrates our continued commitment to our women’s basketball program, and to Adia, who has revitalized our program and brought the excitement and energy to a whole new level. We are thrilled that she will be with us for years to come, and we have no doubt that the young women in her program will continue to proudly represent our university, athletics department and community.”

Barnes led the Wildcats to the school's first-ever Final Four appearance in 2021, knocking off 11-time national champion, UConn, 69-59.

The Wildcats have steadily improved, record-wise, each season under Barnes, winning the Women's National Invitational Tournament title in 2019.

Barnes then led Arizona to a 24-7 campaign in 2019-20, placing the Wildcats fourth overall in the Pac-12 Conference, before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the tournament.

In 2020, the Wildcats posted a 21-6 record, falling to fellow Pac-12 member, Stanford, 54-53.

Barnes called the decision to stay at her alma mater a dream-come-true, as she's seeks to continue building the Wildcats into a national title contender going forward.

“I want to thank President Robbins, Athletics Director Dave Heeke and the senior executive staff for their commitment and support of Arizona Women’s Basketball,” Barnes said in a statement. “It means the world to me that they trust me to lead this incredible program and are invested in our success. I am honored to coach at my alma mater and represent Tucson, a city where it all began for me. This contract is a commitment to our sport, Arizona Women’s Basketball, and this University. It is my responsibility to honor that commitment with a relentless pursuit of a national championship, and I can’t wait until we pack McKale again with the best fans in the country.”

Barnes has posted an 89-66 record in five seasons at Arizona, becoming the youngest coach to reach the Final Four since 2014 and the only person to lead Arizona's women's basketball program to three-straight 20-win seasons.