Adia Barnes leaves Arizona for SMU head coaching job

Adia Barnes was named SMU's new women's basketball coach Saturday after nine seasons at Arizona. She led her alma mater to a national championship appearance four years ago.

Arizona was 169-114 under Barnes with four consecutive NCAA women's tournaments appearances from 2021-24. She takes over an SMU program that posted a 10-20 record in the ACC last season with only two conference wins. 

Barnes' hiring came a week after SMU fired Toyelle Wilson, who was 55-64 overall in four seasons. The Mustangs haven't made the NCAA Tournament in 17 years. 

After scoring a successful career at Arizona, Barnes played 12 seasons in the WNBA and earned a championship in 2004 with the Seattle Storm. She also served as an assistant coach at Washington.

“I’m truly excited for the opportunity to be the next head coach at SMU,” Barnes said in a statement. “Having seen the commitment and alignment on the Hilltop, I believe we can compete on the national stage and for ACC championships."

Barnes was entering the last year of a five-year contract that made her one of the 10 highest-paid women’s basketball coaches in the country. She earned $1.25 million this past season and was set to make $1.3 million next season.