One of the biggest storylines in college basketball is the search for the next head coach at North Carolina. However, Arizona’s head coach, Tommy Lloyd, has confirmed that he won’t be taking the job.
As Arizona prepares for its Final Four clash against Michigan, head coach Lloyd addressed reporters, reaffirming his commitment to remain with the Wildcats.
“I’m happy to announce I’m staying at Arizona,” Lloyd said Friday at Lucas Oil Stadium during the press conference before the Wildcats’ game on Saturday vs. Michigan in the Final Four, via CBS Sports Matt Norlander. “We’ve been able to get some things done over the past couple of days. Arizona basketball, you guys know what it means to me, and when I say it’s a special place, that always comes from the bottom of my heart.”
Lloyd Might’ve Taken Some Notes From Mark Few
It might come as a surprise that Lloyd, currently part of one of the top college basketball programs at Arizona and just two wins away from clinching a national championship, was contemplating a move to North Carolina, but that’s how big an opportunity it is.
Lloyd is flourishing in Arizona, and it’s likely he gained valuable insights from one of his mentors about the importance of maintaining his happiness. He coached under Mark Few at Gonzaga for two decades, and Few has had plenty of opportunities to leave his role as the Bulldogs head coach to take on a premier program. Yet, he enjoys where he is, both in coaching and in life, and has no desire to change his lifestyle.
There’s a strong possibility that Lloyd observed how Few turned down significant coaching opportunities and took the same approach when deciding whether he wanted to leave Arizona or stay.
Lloyd Put to Rest a Big Rumor About North Carolina
After Arizona’s victory over Purdue in the Elite Eight on Saturday night, rumors began to swirl that Lloyd was likely to accept the head coaching position at North Carolina. This speculation appeared to arise from a supposed phone call he had with Tar Heels legend Michael Jordan. However, Lloyd confirmed on Friday that no such conversation took place between him and Jordan.
“The phone call with Michael Jordan never did happen, Lloyd said, via The Field of 68. “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.”
It wouldn’t be surprising if Jordan picked up the phone to call Lloyd, considering he is one of the greatest NBA players of all time and the face of North Carolina basketball and could probably close any deal with a head coach, but that didn’t seem to be the case.
There’s a good chance North Carolina isn’t considering using Jordan in its head coaching search, but the Tar Heels should. Many of the candidates running for the position are about 10 to 15 years younger than Jordan, and he was likely a basketball hero to them growing up.
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