SMU women’s new basketball head coach, Adia Barnes, apologizes for calling mid-major coaches underqualified.
Earlier in April, the SMU Mustangs women’s basketball team announced the hiring of Adia Barnes as their new head coach. Barnes joined SMU from her alma mater in Arizona.
Barnes had been the head coach of the Arizona Wildcats women’s team since 2016, and had taken them to four consecutive NCAA women’s tournaments between 2021 and 2024, including a trip to the 2021 NCAA championship game, where they lost to Stanford.
Arizona appointed Becky Burke as Barnes’ successor, and in her introductory interview, Barnes seemed to aim some comments at the Arizona hire. Comments she has now apologized for.
Adia Barnes Apologizes for Scathing Comments.
In her first press conference with SMU, Barnes made comments that upset some members of the public, causing an outcry.
“It’s just a fact, if you look across the country at all the recent hires, they’ve all hired mid-major, underqualified people because they don’t care,” Barnes said.
I want to sincerely apologize for what I said the other day — it wasn’t what I meant at all. I have a deep respect for the incredible coaches at mid-major schools, and I recognize the hard work and talent across the board…
— ADIA BARNES COPPA (@AdiaBarnes) April 12, 2025
Some people thought this was directed towards Arizona, their hiring of Becky Burke, and, by implication, some other schools.
However, On April 12, Barnes went to her social media to issue an apology.
“I want to sincerely apologize for what I said the other day — it wasn’t what I meant. I have a deep respect for the incredible coaches at mid-major schools, and I recognize the hard work and talent across the board…,” she said
She also replied to a comment, saying, “I didn’t mean it at all, and I’m a little bad. I meant that it’s just not a priority now, but I also understand why. Ugh.”
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Barnes comes to SMU with a reputation for her work with Arizona. She spent nine years there and led the program to its first-ever championship game.
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