Arizona's Lloyd Wins Prestigious Award After Vastly Successful Season

Tommy Lloyd led his team to a historic season and was recognized by the NCAA for it.

Apr 3, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd looks on during a practice session ahead of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

When head coach Tommy Lloyd took the court for the first summer practice session with his new team, he would have never thought the all-time highs his Arizona Wildcats would have taken. After experts slated Arizona to finish somewhere in the middle of the Big 12, the Wildcats/ finished first with a regular-season and tournament title.

The Wildcats entered the tournament as the No. 1 seed in the West Region and tore through every opponent that faced them. Eventually, the Wildcats lost to Michigan, another No. 1 seed, in the Final Four, 81-73. The loss crushed Arizona fans, but the season was magical nonetheless.

TOMMY LLOYD IS YOUR NAISMITH COACH OF THE YEAR 👏 pic.twitter.com/BnVDRGkGH2

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 5, 2026

The Wildcats' 36-3 was the best record in the program's history, and the Final Four Appearance was the first since 2001, when the great Lute Olson was still at the reins. Head coach Tommy Lloyd, who just concluded his fifth season with the Wildcats, led his team to that record and was recognized by the NCAA, earning Naismith Coach of the Year honors.

A Brief History of Tommy Lloyd

Apr 3, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd speaks during a press conference ahead of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Before Lloyd was the head coach of the Wildcats, he was a longtime assistant at Gonzaga under Mrk Few for 22 seasons. That amount of time under a Hall of Fame coach could do anybody good, and that showed when he finally got the opportunity to coach his own team.

In his first season, Lloyd coached the Wildcats to a 33-4 record, led them to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, and earned Pac-12 Coach of the Year honors. Lloyd has continued to have the same success in the upcoming season. He also holds the record for the most wins of any coach in their first two years, with 61.

New Conference, Same Dominance

Mar 22, 2026; San Diego, CA, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd reacts in the first half against the Utah State Aggies during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Viejas Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The 2024 season was Arizona's first in the Big 12, and although it took some time to acclimate to the physical conference, Lloyd still led his team to a tournament appearance. The Wildcats finished third in the conference with a 24-13 record and reached the Sweet 16, where they lost to Duke.

This year was a complete turnaround as they finished first, scorching any team that stood in the Wildcats' path. Now, Lloyd received a five-year extension on his contract and will be getting paid $7.2 million annually. The extension shows that the program trusts Lloyd as a leader and believes he can get Arizona back to the top of the NCAA.