Dave Heeke stepped into a difficult situation when he took over as Arizona's athletic director. Not only did he have big shoes to fill after replacing Greg Byrne, but he had to guide the athletic department through several significant issues including a pandemic that shut down athletics for an extended period of time.

UA is heading in the right direction once again with several key coaching hires made under Heeke's watch including new men's basketball coach Tommy Lloyd and football coach Jedd Fisch.

Thursday, the Arizona Board of Regents decided that Heeke should indeed continue to remain in charge of the athletic department in Tucson approving a two-year contract extension. The extension will keep Heeke in place as UA's athletic director through March 31, 2025.

He first stepped into his current role in the spring of 2017.

"I would like to thank President Robbins and the Arizona Board of Regents for their continued support of the athletics department's ongoing work of developing academic, athletic and life champions who live the Wildcat Way," Heeke said in a statement provided by the school. "It is a privilege to serve this historic university and the tremendous community in Southern Arizona.

"I am proud of the championship excellence that our student-athletes, coaches and staff have achieved, and I believe we will continue to add new chapters to the storied legacy of Arizona Athletics."

Heeke and president Robert C. Robbins have worked in tandem on many issues over the last five years with the UA athletic director being tasked with guiding the Wildcats through several challenges.

Robbins is confident that Heeke remains the right man for the job moving into the future.

"For more than five years, Dave Heeke has been a remarkable leader and ambassador for Arizona Athletics and the University of Arizona as a whole," he said. "He has helped build the framework that has led to the unprecedented success of our student-athletes, both on the field and in the classroom.

"I look forward to collaborating with Dave and his team on the University of Arizona's efforts to build upon our culture of excellence in athletics. It is an exciting time to be an Arizona Wildcat."

Heeke arrived to Arizona after spending 11 years at Central Michigan as its athletic director. Prior to his time at CMU, Heeke served in several roles within the Oregon athletic department.

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