Arizona hires Buffalo’s Becky Burke as women’s basketball coach

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Arizona has hired Buffalo’s Becky Burke as its women’s basketball coach.

Burke replaces Adia Barnes, who left to become SMU’s coach last week.

“Our model centers around identifying head coaches who prioritize success in coaching, recruiting and the development of high-character student-athletes,” Arizona athletic director Desiree Reed-Francois said in a statement Wednesday. “Coach Burke is a proven program builder and rising star in collegiate women’s basketball with a track record of transformational success. She is familiar with the Wildcats and the tight-knit community we have in Tucson.”

Burke spent the past three seasons at Buffalo, leading the Bulls to a program-record 30 wins and the WNIT title in 2024-25. She led Buffalo to the Mid-American Conference tournament championship game after being picked to finish fourth in the league.

Burke previously spent two seasons as USC Upstate’s coach and two a Division II University of Charleston. She also coached two seasons at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Arizona, after stints as an assistant at Saint Joseph’s and Cal State Fullerton.

Burke went to the NCAA Tournament as a player for Louisville three times, including a trip to the 2009 national championship game.

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