Lloyd's MJ Phone Call Amid UNC Rumors Shut Down

Despite increased speculation and hinted signs that the North Carolina Tar Heels appeared to be on track to hire Arizona's Tommy Lloyd as their next head coach, the 51-year-old ended those possibilities on Friday by signing a lucrative contract extension.

ESPN's Pete Thamel broke the news, revealing that Lloyd will become one of the five highest-paid coaches in the sport.

Apr 3, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd directs players 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

"Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd has agreed to a new deal with the school, he announced," Thamel reported. "Arizona's new five-year deal with Lloyd will make him one of the five highest-paid coaches in college basketball, per me and Jeff Borzello."

During his press conference on Friday, when Lloyd announced that he will be staying with Arizona, the veteran head coach also shut down rumors about a specific conversation he had with a legendary figure in the university's history.

Lloyd's Thoughts

Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd watches during practice ahead of a Final Four game on Friday, April 3, 2026, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. | Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Lloyd began by praising North Carolina and what it offers coaches. Additionally, he reflected on his memories of watching games as a kid.

"I would like to let you know that North Carolina is an amazing place," Lloyd said. "It's one of one. It's an honor to even be considered for that job. The young kid, the college basketball junkie watching those games at home, never would have thought something like that could have happened to somebody like me. North Carolina is a first-class organization, and I appreciate them for the way they have handled this."

Apr 3, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd talks with Tracy Wolfson 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

After thanking the university, Lloyd addressed the rumors and revealed who he admired, an underlying motivation for staying with Arizona.

"The phone call with Michael Jordan never did happen, I'll put that to rest," Lloyd continued. "We all idolized [Michael Jordan]. I don't know how many hours I spent watching that 'Come Fly With Me' video, and my kid grew up watching [Space Jam]. It's amazing that opportunity was even thought to be possible. With that being said though, I made a decision that my Michael Jordan is Steve Kerr. And I'm proud to be an Arizona Wildcat."

Overall Thoughts

Michigan head coach Dusty May speaks at a press conference ahead of practice at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis for practice on Friday, April 3, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Obviously, the Tar Heels were banking on Lloyd signing on to their project and returning the program to winning ways in the near future. However, that is not the case, and North Carolina will need to go back to the drawing board and assess their options.

Michigan's Dusty May emerged as the clear preferred candidate by the Tar Heels for their head coach vacancy, but he recently shut down any reports that he was interested in the job.