Give it a week or so, and we all will have clarity on the Tommy Lloyd situation. The head coach of the Arizona Wildcats has U of A back in the Final Four for the first time in a quarter century. With a clash of the titans on the horizon with the Michigan Wolverines in the Final Four, Lloyd could be coaching his final game at Arizona here soon. He is seen as a top candidate to come take over North Carolina.
North Carolina has been patient in its pursuit of Lloyd, and may have just saved $2 million in doing so.
As of April 1, if Tommy Lloyd leaves Arizona, his new school would owe a $9 million buyout, down from the $11 million it would have cost prior to today. pic.twitter.com/tglSnM1T8B
— Taylor Vippolis (@tvippolis) April 1, 2026
With the way Lloyd's contract with Arizona is set up, had he left for a new job prior to April 1, it would have cost him $11 million in a buyout, as opposed to the $9 million it would cost now for a team like North Carolina to potentially land him. Obviously, Arizona being in the Final Four made hiring Lloyd an impossibility for UNC right this instant. Then again, we did just see Lane Kiffin leave Ole Miss for LSU...
In a way, by defeating Purdue in the Elite Eight, Lloyd both made and saved himself a ton of money...
North Carolina could be rewarded for its patience regarding Tommy Lloyd
Look. It is not set in stone that Lloyd is coming to Chapel Hill for sure. He may ink a new contract with Arizona after this Final Four run. That being said, Lloyd supposedly does not have the best working relationship with his boss in Arizona athletic director Desireé Reed-Francois. Arizona has financial issues. It can only give a public employee a five-year contract. Brent Brennan may need money, too...
So what this all means for North Carolina is if the Tar Heels pony up a boatload of cash, Lloyd could be theirs. He may be every bit a West Coast guy, but keep in mind who his greatest mentor is. That would be Mark Few over at Gonzaga. While Few has decided to stay in Spokane for the duration of his career, there was at least a moment where Few could have become Roy Williams' successor at UNC.
Right now, here is what needs to happen for North Carolina, or what could happen... Once Arizona's season comes to an end, Lloyd will have to make a decision. Either he will stay at Arizona, or he will leave and come to North Carolina. If he heads to the ACC, then that is fantastic for UNC. If he stays put, well, there is always Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan to pursuit. He would take the gig...
At this time, North Carolina should be grateful that Lloyd's buyout has decreased by $2 million.