Desireé Reed-Francois

Desireé Reed-Francois serves as the R. Ken Coit director of athletics at the University of Arizona, overseeing one of the most successful periods in department history. Since her arrival in 2024, Arizona Athletics’ competitive success includes a Men’s Basketball Final Four run, a College World Series appearance, two national championships in triathlon, and multiple conference titles. The department has achieved record revenue and academic outcomes, and in just over one year, Reed-Francois secured $87.7 million in combined venue naming rights—among the most significant in college athletics, helping to reduce a significant inherited budget deficit.  

Previously, she served as Director of Athletics at the University of Missouri and UNLV, where she built a national reputation as an accomplished fundraiser and leader who prioritizes the student-athlete experience and hires championship-caliber coaches. Her leadership at Missouri earned NACDA Athletic Director of the Year honors. She currently serves as President of the FBS Athletic Directors Association and is a member of the NCAA Division I Cabinet.  

Reed-Francois and her husband, Josh, are proud parents of Arizona Men’s Basketball student-athlete, Jackson. She earned her bachelor’s degree at UCLA and her Juris Doctor from the University of Arizona.