Greg Hansen's Notebook: This entry is part of longtime Star columnist Greg Hansen's weekly notebook.
Subscribers can read this week's "Hansen's Notebook" in its entirety in the Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024 edition of the Arizona Daily Star (Page C2) — either in print or at Tucson.com/EEdition. Or, dig into the Hansen archives at Tucson.com/Hansen.
Six months into her term as Arizona’s athletic director, Desireé Reed-Francois has completely changed the face of the university sports unit's high command — probably the most thorough changeover in the history of the UA athletic department.
In a brief time, she has hired six associate ADs, or those to her leadership staff. All six are from her former school, Missouri. Let’s say this: She surely knows what she is getting.
Arizona athletic director Desireé Reed-Francois speaks during a meeting of the Arizona Board of Regents June 6 in Tempe.
By comparison, former AD Dave Heeke brought in people from Austin Peay and Kansas, among others, to form the leadership of his staff. It didn’t work. One of the key upper-level staffers he inherited, Mike Ketcham, soon left for UNLV, of all places.
In retrospect, it is probably a needed change. While, in my opinion, Heeke could hold his own with any AD in the old Pac-12, his staff was stocked with some robotic figures — those who did little to rescue the athletic department during a seven-year financial crisis or create a presence in the athletic community.
It was a period in which few ADs could’ve survived the chaos created by Sean Miller, Kevin Sumlin’s embarrassing failure, the retirement of Mike Candrea and decline of the softball program, the collapse of the once-grand swimming program and the constant over-the-shoulder, hands-on presence of then-president Bobby Robbins.
is the longtime sports columnist for the
Arizona Daily Starand
Tucson.com.
The timing was not good for Heeke. His predecessors, especially Cedric Demsey and Jim Livengood, were blessed to inherit or hire Hall of Fame-level athletic administrators Bob Bockrath, John Perrin, Mary Roby, Tom Sanders, Rocky LaRose, Mark Harlan, Becky Bell, Tom Duddleston, Steve Kozachik and Chris Del Conte. These were people familiar with and respected by the athletic community.
For 20 years,1985-2005, the UA’s athletic department was as good as any in the Pac-12. No wonder the Wildcats regularly finished in the Top 10 of the NACDA Director’s Cup.
Reed-Francois has wisely kept Erika Barnes as the school’s executive senior associate AD. Barnes is a former UA softball player who worked under Livengood and Greg Byrne and, I believe, could be an athletic director if she chose to pursue that type of career. Barnes is now joined on Reed-Francois’ leadership panel by these ex-Missouri Tigers:
• Will Wheeler, senior associate AD, CFO.
• Sammy Swiger, director of corporate sales, Arizona Sports Enterprises (which replaces the old Learfield IMG group).
• Nikki Barry, Associate AD Multimedia Operations and Brand Manager.
• Rachel Blunt, Senior Associate AD, Strategic Operations.
• Tony Daniel, Senior Associate AD, Revenue Generation and Engagement.
• Morgan Domenick, Associate AD, Administration.
Perhaps there is the next Chris Del Conte or Rocky LaRose among the group.
It’s a new look for a school new to the Big 12 Conference, one that is needed to get Arizona back as one of the NCAA’s 20 or 25 leading athletic departments.
Hansen's Notebook: Marana football snaps 7-year Salpointe streak vs. Tucson-area schoolsFrom Greg Hansen's Notebook: This week's short stuff, including: Marana HS ending Salpointe's seven-year win streak against Tucson-area schools; UA women's golf facing ex-coach Laura Ianello, Texas twice early on; history of coach's kids playing on UA teams; more.
From Greg Hansen's Notebook: Colton Smith, who made the Final Four of the NCAA Men's Tennis singles draw in 2024, is among the leading Arizona Wildcat athletes heading into 2024-25. Other's near the top: Tetairoa McMillan (football), Salpointe alum Mason White (baseball).
From Greg Hansen's Notebook: Jack Kennedy was a basketball and golf standout at The Gregory School 20 years ago. A few weeks ago, he's became the head coach of Colorado State's men's golf team.
From Greg Hansen's Notebook: My good and long-time journalistic “rival’’and golf partner Jack Rickard died last week in Tucson. Rickard, who wrote for the Tucson Citizen for 30 years, probably got 189 years of enjoyment out of his 89 years.
