Arizona’s Tommy Lloyd Addresses Being Linked to North Carolina’s Coaching Job

The Wildcats have Arkansas to contend with on Thursday.

Tommy Lloyd’s work at Arizona may have put him on North Carolina’s radar. | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd’s transformation of his program has been so complete that it’s hard to believe he’s only been a head coach for five years.

The Wildcats hired Lloyd to replace coach Sean Miller after the 2021 season. Since then, Lloyd has a) won 80.7% of his games, which would put him in the top five in history, b) won both Pac-12 titles and both Big 12 titles, and c) made a quartet of Sweet 16’s.

It makes sense, then, that Lloyd would be in the conversation for North Carolina’s coaching vacancy. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday ahead of Arizona’s Sweet 16 matchup against Arkansas, Lloyd shrugged off his name being brought up for the opening.

“I already have one of the best jobs in the country,” Lloyd said. “One thing we talk about in our program all the time, and I think I've gotten better at, and I think our team has been crushing it this year, is just the ability to have full focus and be present in the moment.”

The Wildcats enter Thursday 34-2, having lost just twice: to Kansas on Feb. 9 and Texas Tech five days later. Both of those teams lost in the second round to St. John’s and Alabama, respectively.

On the other hand, the Tar Heels went 24-9 in 2026, losing in the first round to VCU in a game that North Carolina led by 19 at one point. That led the Tar Heels to dismiss coach Hubert Davis, a former All-ACC guard under legendary coach Dean Smith.

It has historically been unusual for North Carolina to look outside its immediate circle for men’s basketball coaching hires, and it’s hard to get further outside the Tar Heels’ circle than Lloyd. Lloyd is from Washington and spent two decades as a Gonzaga assistant before Arizona lured him south.

If he left, he’d do so with unfinished business. The Wildcats have not made the men’s Final Four since 2001.

“I think we have a great team. I think we have a chance to advance in this tournament game by game. But I'm not delusional. I know we could lose tomorrow,” Lloyd said. “But this team deserves my full focus, so there's not one thing that is going to knock me off my path. I'm 100% focused on Arizona basketball and this program, and I can't wait until the ball gets thrown up tomorrow, and then can't wait to try to figure out a way to come out on top.”

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