Arizona tabs Becky Burke from Buffalo to lead women’s basketball program
TUCSON — Arizona did not waste any time finding a new women’s basketball coach.
Just days after the departure of Adia Barnes to take over the program at Southern Methodist in Dallas, the Wildcats hired Becky Burke, a Louisville grad who just got done leading the Buffalo Bulls to the WNIT Championship.
The Bulls finished with 30 wins this past season and drew a program-record 5,650 for the WNIT Final at their home, Alumni Arena.
“Our model centers around identifying head coaches who prioritize success in coaching, recruiting and the development of high-character student-athletes,” said UA athletics director Desireé Reed-Francois. “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. Our search committee did a wonderful job of selecting the right leader as we are proud to welcome Coach Burke, Savannah and Banks to the University of Arizona.”
Burke spent three seasons at Buffalo, where she compiled a record of 61-37 and went 30-24 in the Mid-American Conference. She’s 174-92 as a head coach at Embry-Riddle, Charleston, USC Upstate and Buffalo.
“I would like to thank President (Suresh) Garimella and Desireé for this wonderful opportunity to lead Arizona Women’s Basketball, a program with such rich tradition,” Burke said. “Wildcats’ fans fully understand the role that elite culture plays in building a program that wins championships. Our staff will be ready to make that a reality as we call Tucson home.”
Burke, a Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania native, was a standout at the University of Louisville where she graduated with a degree in sports management in 2012. In four years as a Cardinal, she led the program to three NCAA Tournament appearances including the championship game in 2009 and the Sweet Sixteen in 2011. Burke is a member of the program’s 1,000-point club and was just the second Cardinal to participate in the State Farm College 3-Point Shoot-Out in 2012, finishing as the runner-up.
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