No doubt about it. Tommy Lloyd is one helluva head coach for the Arizona Wildcats. He may be at the very top of North Carolina fans' wishlist to replace Hubert Davis at the helm of the Tar Heels program. However, he is at a great job out there on the West Coast. More importantly, he just took U of A to its first Final Four in 25 years. The last time they made it Lute Olson was at the helm of this elite program.
So it should come as no surprise that Lloyd paid his respects to Olson after his biggest win to date.
"Personally, I feel good. What I'm most happy for is these Arizona fans. You guys deserve this! I know this. There's a good-looking guy with white hair looking down on us right now that's happy!"
Lloyd may be ready to coach at a program like North Carolina, but he has become a legend in Tucson.
“I know this -- There’s a good-looking guy with white hair looking down on us right now that’s happy!”
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 29, 2026
Tommy Lloyd pays his respects to the legendary Lute Olson. pic.twitter.com/lkWbzpOPhu
Then again, Lloyd dropped this bombshell of a quote immediately after winning the West Regional.
"The sun might be shining on our program and me, but my No. 1 priority is to protect this program for the duration of when I am here. Arizona is going to have a great coach after me. The place is special."
No matter how you slice it, Lloyd is barreling towards an impossible decision in the next few weeks.
Will he stay or will he go? Up next for Arizona will be either Michigan or Tennessee in the Final Four...
Tommy Lloyd could work leading North Carolina, but he has Arizona roots
No matter how you slice it, Lloyd is about to make himself a boatload of money. Mark Few's greatest Gonzaga disciple bet on himself to leave Spokane for a more challenging venture down in Tucson. Half a decade in, and he is thriving! In truth, we have seen a similar situation like this play out with North Carolina. Roy Williams did leave Kansas after a national title appearance, but UNC is alma mater.
Lloyd is every bit a West Coast guy. He grew up in Washington State before playing his college basketball in three places far west of the Mississippi River. He spent 20 years as Few's assistant at Gonzaga before taking over at Arizona. No doubt about it. North Carolina is the more storied program in the history of the sport, but U of A is every bit a traditional power in its own right. There are levels...
Ultimately, it would be a very bad look for Lloyd to leave Arizona after getting the entire U of A crowd at the West Regional to shout "Lute!" in unison. Then again, North Carolina is one of the preeminent jobs in the country. The only other jobs on UNC's level are Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, and that is about it. Money talks, or Lloyd will walk. At 51 years old, here is still very much ripe on the coaching vine.
For now, expect for UNC fans to monitor every rumor surrouding their next potential head coach.