Arizona head coach Adia Barnes has been worried about money for the last several years. Not her money. Money to get the kind of players she needs to compete at the highest level.
The SEC is one place to find that money, and she may be in contention for an SEC job as her name is now being linked to the open position at Auburn. The question is whether it’s the right SEC job.
As Adia Barnes’ name has risen in Auburn’s search for a new coach, one thing I will say is that most of the candidates in the running will have to be paid a number that will reflect a serious commitment to women’s basketball.
Auburn has spared no expense for football over the…
— Mike G. (@mikegittens) March 12, 2025
Auburn fired head coach Johnnie Harris on Mar. 6, one day after the Tigers lost to Florida in the SEC Tournament opening round. Harris went 58-63 in her four years at the helm. The program is currently losing players to the portal and has signees reopening their recruitment. Some might be willing to return if Barnes is hired.
Auburn signee Nylah Wilson got her first major offer from Arizona. She spent almost a year posting pictures of herself in Wildcat gear on Instagram stories. There were even some reports that she was the silent commit that Barnes acknowledged in her “Bear Down” tweet last July.
Wilson blew up on the travel circuit, shot up the rankings, and became a five-star recruit after Arizona offered her. She announced her commitment to Auburn in November.
Taliah Scott, who played for Barnes’ former boss and longtime friend Mike Neighbors, at Arkansas transferred to Auburn in the offseason. She has entered the portal since Harris was fired but has not committed anywhere. She is also a former five-star recruit.
Other things that point to Barnes as a strong possibility are reports that Auburn is looking for a minority candidate for the job.
Regarding the opening at Auburn: It sounds like the Auburn administration is primarily vetting minority candidates and I fully expect their pending hire will reflect as much.
I addressed Purcell yesterday, but I would also include Kellie Harper on the list of named candidates…
— Skim Milkey (@SkimMilkey) March 12, 2025
While the Auburn faithful are thinking about salary, Barnes has repeatedly said that the most important thing to her is feeling wanted, especially by the athletics administration. She also talks far more about NIL than she does about her own salary. Having little in the way of NIL and the administration not getting a contract done earlier raises questions in both arenas.
Barnes has been linked to other jobs every offseason since her team won the WNIT in 2019. Baylor courted her right after she coached the Wildcats to the national title game in 2021, but the Bears weren’t the first or the last. She was rumored to be in the mix for WNBA jobs at least three times in recent years but has always chosen to stay at Arizona.
Barnes is the first coach in Arizona history to win 20 or more games in five straight seasons. Her teams have won at least 18 games every year beginning with the 2018-19 season. The Wildcats are 19-13 this year, although that could improve if they are chosen to play in the NCAA Tournament or WBIT.
She took over a program that was an afterthought in Tucson and on the national stage. It is now one of the top draws in the sport. The Wildcats finished as the top draw in the Pac-12 and No. 13 in attendance nationally last year. This year, they improved to 10th nationally with almost 8,000 more fans than last season. They trail only Iowa State in the Big 12.
Ticket sales at Arizona reportedly bring in about $1.5 million per year. That more than covers her salary, even when it goes up to $1.3 million for the 2025-26 season. If she leaves before Apr. 30, she will owe Arizona $250,000.
Barnes has taken her team to every postseason held since 2019. The last four have been the NCAA Tournament, and she would have taken them in 2020 if the pandemic had not caused its cancelation. Her team will qualify for the postseason again this year. although it will likely be the WBIT. The question is whether the Wildcats will accept and, if they do, whether she will be the one to coach them.