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One of the best seasons in Arizona history has the Wildcats in the Final Four and the program believing a national championship is possible. So, why are fans still on pins and needles?
Head coach Tommy Lloyd's name has circulated in connection to North Carolina's vacant head coaching job, even as Arizona's NCAA Tournament run continues.
Lloyd isn't the only notable name that has come up in North Carolina rumors, but there is some reason to believe a jump over to the east coast isn't off the table for the 51-year-old.
Here's what you need to know about Lloyd's chances of leaving Arizona for Chapel Hill.
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Is Tommy Lloyd leaving Arizona?
At this time, no reporting indicates Lloyd is planning to leave Arizona once the Wildcats' season ends. That doesn't mean a move is off the table.
On the surface, leaving a team that clearly can compete for national championships wouldn't make too much sense (nevermind Lane Kiffin's Ole Miss exit), but the possibility of Lloyd joining North Carolina can't be ruled out yet.
The Tar Heels' decision to delay their head coaching decision until after the Final Four, which On3 reported, only raises more suspicion that the school is at least interested in one of the remaining coaches.
A comment made by Lloyd after Arizona punched its ticket to the Final Four raised a few eyebrows as well.
"My number one responsibility is to fight to protect the program...for those who came before me and for those that are going to follow after me, because Arizona is going to have another good coach after me," Lloyd told reporters. "I promise you. The place is special."
Most of what Lloyd said is boilerplate praise of the program and its fans, but his unprompted line saying Arizona is "going to have another good coach after me" concerned Wildcats fans given Lloyd is only 51 and seemingly could coach at Arizona for a long time.
MORE: Tommy Lloyd's career timeline
Tommy Lloyd UNC rumors
No concrete reporting has claimed Lloyd is planning to become the next head coach at North Carolina or is even seriously considering a move, but some rumors have tied the Arizona coach to the Tar Heels.
"To me, it falls to Tommy Lloyd being the guy at the top of the list. Arizona doesn't have the money like people think," Field of 68's Jeff Goodman reported. "The other part is, how happy is [Lloyd] with the administration and does he want to travel across the country?"
Green Bay coach and former Fox Sports radio host Doug Gottlieb also echoed that Arizona doesn't have as many resources as some believe and told Colin Cowherd that Tar Heels alum Michael Jordan personally called Lloyd, though it's unclear what Gottlieb's source might be for that information.
As is often the case in coaching searches, it can be difficult to parse through what's true and what is not. What is true is Lloyd could have definitively said he is staying at Arizona but has not. Until he does or the North Carolina vacancy is filled, his name will be part of the public discussion regarding the search.
MORE: Looking back at Arizona's Final Four history
Tommy Lloyd contract
Lloyd is in the first year of a new five-year, $27 million contract extension he signed in 2025, with the Arizona Daily Star reporting he is making $5.1 million this season and the next.
Lloyd's deal at Arizona calls for his salary to increase by $250,000 in each of the final three seasons, topping out at $5.85 million in 2029-30.
Tommy Lloyd buyout
Lloyd's buyout dropped from $11 million to $9 million on April 1, according to the Arizona Daily Star, though the price tag still remains heftier than that of Michigan's Dusty May.
MORE: How Arizona took down Purdue to reach 2026 Final Four
Tommy Lloyd coaching timeline
Lloyd hasn't moved around much in his coaching career, spending 20 seasons as an assistant under Mark Few at Gonzaga before making the jump to his first head coaching gig after Arizona fired Sean Miller in 2021:
- 2001-21: Gonzaga (assistant coach)
- 2021-present: Arizona (head coach)
Lloyd was first discovered by then-Gonzaga coach Dan Monson during a recruiting trip when Lloyd was playing at the junior college level. While Monson declined to make a scholarship offer, he effectively promised Lloyd a coaching role when his playing days were done.
Few honored Monson's promise after taking over the top job at Gonzaga and brought Lloyd aboard in 2001, creating a partnership that spanned two decades before Lloyd found the right opportunity to become a head coach. Lloyd was Gonzaga's head coach-in-waiting before accepting the Arizona job.
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