UA coach Adia Barnes, at left with husband and assistant Salvo Coppa, lost her father recently to Alzheimer's and health issues stemming from CTE.
The biological father of UA women’s basketball coach Adia Barnes died in Tucson two weeks ago. Pete Barnes, 72, had been living in Tucson for about six months; although Adia was raised by her stepfather, Bruce McRae, she arranged to have Barnes move to Tucson last fall. He suffered from Alzheimer’s and health issues related to CTE from his 11-year NFL career. Barnes was a linebacker for the Chargers, Oilers, Patriots and Cardinals. Adia donated her father’s brain to Boston University to help with the study of CTE. “It was really sad,” Adia said. “He was in decline, but we took him to our home games and did the best we could.”
