Arizona men’s basketball head coach Tommy Lloyd was instantly linked to the vacant North Carolina job, but after his amended contract with the Wildcats was unanimously approved on Thursday, the university’s President Suresh Garimella had the last laugh.
“Who cares about North Carolina?” Garimella told reporters as the Arizona Board of Regents made Lloyd’s deal official.
Lloyd is now aboard on a five year, $37.5 million contract and will reportedly have Garimella as his direct superior rather than athletic director Desiree Reed-Francois.
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The 31% raise from the coach’s original contract was more than merited, according to Garimella, who attended the voting session.
“His teams play with unselfishness — not very common — toughness and purpose, and they have helped reinforce Tucson as one of the premier college basketball communities in the country,” Garimella said.
Shortly after making this statement, the university leader made his not-so-subtle jab at the Tar Heels’ program, adding that Arizona has “one of the most passionate fan bases in the country.”
North Carolina’s track record of six NCAA championships and 21 Final Four appearances speaks for itself, but to Garimella and Lloyd’s credit, Arizona wins where recent success and trajectory are concerned. The Tar Heels made first-round exits of the national tournament each of the past two seasons, whereas the Wildcats just made a Final Four run and nabbed the No. 4 overall 2026 high school recruit.
Lloyd followed Garimella’s remarks by emphasizing that his “job is to be an ambassador for the University of Arizona” and that his focus on delivering for the program and for the city of Tucson is “what we need” moving forward.
The winningest NCAA Division 1 coach in their first five seasons at a school (148 wins), Lloyd was named Naismith Coach of the Year and Big 12 Coach of the Year, earning the conference award last season as well.
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