Tommy Lloyd Insists UNC Interest Will Not Be Distraction for Arizona at Final Four

The Wildcat head coach wants to keep the focus on the court in Indianapolis

Mar 19, 2026; San Diego, CA, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd during a press conference ahead of the first round of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Viejas Arena. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The connection between Tommy Lloyd and North Carolina is getting louder and more publicity as Arizona prepares to leave for the Final Four in Indianapolis.

“People are going to speculate all they want,” Lloyd said on Tuesday about the Tar Heels coaching vacancy. “This team has my full focus. Nothing, nothing, I promise you nothing is knocking me off that path. And you guys might call them distractions, because you’re distracted. That doesn’t mean I’m distracted or we’re distracted.”

Things have been relatively quiet surrounding the search for North Carolina and things are expected to quickly escalate following the Final Four and National Championship this week.

Along with Tommy Lloyd, some have speculated former Florida head coach and current Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan could be interested in the job but would have to wait until the end of the NBA season to accept.

“You know what’s pretty cool, once you get some experience in this deal, and you’re a player or a coach that’s been at it awhile, you get pretty good at eliminating the distractions. So, I think I’m pretty good at that, and I just can’t wait to get to practice today,” Lloyd continued about the speculation.

The talk around the Arizona coach only grew louder after the Wildcats beat Purdue in the Elite 8 and Tommy Lloyd mentioned his successor when asked a question about the basketball history and legacy within the program.

“It is absolutely true,” he responded when asked about saying Arizona would have “another good coach” after he leaves.

“There’s going to be another coach. This is a great program. I didn’t say when."

Arizona will arguably face its most difficult challenge of the season in the Final Four when battling Michigan with a berth in the National Championship on the line. This is the first National Semifinal appearance for the Wildcats since 2001 and the program has not won the title since 1997.