Adia Barnes is getting a raise.
The head coach of the University of Arizona women’s basketball program reached an agreement with the school, amending her previously agreed upon contract extension through the 2025-2026 season.
The modified five-year contract upped Barnes’s base salary to $5.85 million.
Barnes’s new compensation agreement comes after she led the Wildcats to the 2021 NCAA national championship game, where the team lost to Stanford by a single point.
On top of Arizona’s record-breaking success in this year’s NCAA tournament, Barnes has consistently won games in her five seasons as head coach, boasting an 89-64 record. She is also an Arizona alum, having played for the Wildcats from 1994-1998 before embarking on a WNBA career.
“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.”
— Arizona Women's Basketball (@ArizonaWBB) May 4, 2021
- @AdiaBarnes pic.twitter.com/1tce8MMaMZ
In a released statement, Vice President and Director of Athletics Dave Heeke said that Barnes’s pay raise represents Arizona’s newfound status as an elite program.
“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,” says Heeke.
Barnes will head into next season without star Aari McDonald, but has a top-ranked recruiting class joining key transfers, like Oregon’s Taylor Chavez, to fill the void.