The search for a new athletic director has been mostly quiet until yesterday, when Wildcat Authority dropped the news that current Arizona athletic director Desiree Reed-Francois is one of the finalists. This is the first name that’s come out during the search process, and while the PR team is already at work for Reed-Francois, who has now said she’s “happy where her feet are.” That may or may not be nonsense as the search plays out.
There’s a lot she would bring to the table for Wisconsin, namely, fundraising, but she also would come with a big red flag. A mess that happened in Arizona that she has yet to clean up and may not ever be able to, which could be why she’s packing her bags and looking around. The way she handled Arizona head basketball coach Tommy Lloyd is a problem.
Now, much of the issue(s) isn’t public, and speculation is abundant. It’s all mostly rumors, and who knows how it actually went. What is factual, though, is that Tommy Lloyd negotiated a new contract where he reports directly to the president of Arizona. He now has language where he can bypass the athletic director and thus Reed-Francois. This is awkward at best and toxic at worst.
The tension between Desiree Reed-Francois and Tommy Lloyd is a potential red flag for Wisconsin
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