Arizona hires Buffalo's Becky Burke as head coach

Becky Burke has been named the new head coach at Arizona after leading Buffalo to the WNIT championship.

Burke, 35, was hired on Wednesday as the 10th head coach of the Wildcats, replacing Adia Barnes.

She guided the Bulls to a school-record 30 wins this season, culminating with an 88-84 win over Troy in the WNIT final on Saturday.

"Coach Burke is a proven program builder and rising star in collegiate women's basketball with a track record of transformational success," athletic director Desiree Reed-Francois said. "She is familiar with the Wildcats and the tight-knit community we have in Tucson."

Burke said she is excited to lead a program "with such rich tradition."

"Wildcats' fans fully understand the role that elite culture plays in building a program that wins championships," she said. "Our staff will be ready to make that a reality as we call Tucson home."

Burke was 61-37 in three seasons at Buffalo after compiling a 30-23 record in two seasons at South Carolina Upstate from 2020-22. Before that, she was a head coach at the Division II level at Charleston (W.Va.) and the NAIA level at Embry-Riddle, located in Prescott, Ariz.

Barnes was 169-114 in nine seasons at Arizona, including a Final Four appearance in 2021. She left to become the head coach at SMU earlier this month.

--Field Level Media