While his name is being thrown out as a candidate for the open North Carolina job, Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said Wednesday his focus is on his current squad.
Lloyd also pointed out that he already has a gig that’s pretty solid during remarks one day prior to the top-seeded Wildcats’ Sweet 16 game against No. 4 Arkansas.
“I already have one of the best jobs in the country,” Lloyd said during a press conference in San Jose, Calif. “And one thing we talk about in our program all the time — and I think I’ve gotten better at it, and I think our team’s been crushing it this year — is just the ability to have full focus and be present in the moment.”
Lloyd is one of the top names being bandied about for the North Carolina job after Hubert Davis was dismissed, days after a first-round NCAA Tournament loss to VCU.
Lloyd, 51, didn’t make any proclamations that he would be staying at Arizona. Then again, coaching search situations often lead to an upgrade in contracts for people whose names were attached to an opening.
Lloyd is in the second season of a five-year contract and the team’s 34-2 record is one off the program best for victories set in the 1987-88 campaign. He is making $5.1 million this season. The buyout is $11 million should Lloyd leave before April 15.
“I think we have a chance to advance in this tournament game by game, but I’m not delusional,” Lloyd said. “I know we could lose tomorrow, but this team deserves my full focus. So, there’s not one thing that is going to knock me off my path. I’m 100% focused on Arizona basketball and this program, and I can’t wait till the ball gets thrown up tomorrow and then can’t wait to try to figure out a way to come out on top.”
Lloyd owns a 146-35 record at Arizona entering the game against the Razorbacks. He has lost in the Sweet 16 three times during his Arizona tenure. The other time, he lost in the first round against Princeton in 2023.
