Back to the board for North Carolina in its search to replace Hubert Davis.
While there was plenty of hope that once the season officially ended the Tar Heels would be able to make things work with Tommy Lloyd, that's not going to happen. Breaking news has come in that Lloyd isn't going anywhere, with him signing an extension with Arizona.
Dusty May breaks his silence on UNC rumors with typical coach speak response
You've got to be kidding. To make matters worse for Tar Heels fans, Lloyd threw cold water all over the rumors that Michael Jordan was involved in UNC trying to land him. On top of that, Lloyd also tossed a playful jab MJ's way which no one is going to find funny right now:
More from Tommy Lloyd on staying at Arizona:
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) April 3, 2026
"The phone call with Michael Jordan never did happen, I'll put that to rest. We all idolized MJ... With that being said though... my Michael Jordan is Steve Kerr. And I'm proud to be an Arizona Wildcat." pic.twitter.com/GhOuylDU9E
Tommy Lloyd turning down the UNC job puts the Heels in a complicated spot
Steve Kerr? Get real, Tommy. That was his way of adding to his love for Arizona, but again, Tar Heels supporters everywhere aren't going to be smiling over this. The question begs - now what for North Carolina? Countless people were all-in emotionally on Lloyd being the guy, but that's not going to happen.
Arizona surely felt the pressure to get things done here and the timing sure isn't a coincidence. The Wildcats are all set to take on Michigan in the Final Four and this has been a major distraction in recent weeks. Lloyd kept saying he was focused on Arizona and it looks like a new deal was going on behind the scenes.
It's clear North Carolina was making a strong push, which is why Lloyd is now one of the highest-paid coaches in the game. Did he use the UNC opening as leverage for his payday? We're not going to accuse him of that, but he sure played things smart.
There are backup plans in place for the Tar Heels, of course including Billy Donovan, Dusty May and others, but swinging and missing on Lloyd is going to sting for quite some time. On top of that, even if he was joking, his jab at Jordan isn't helping anything. Nope, it somehow makes things worse here.