Tommy Lloyd has preached the mantra of “One day at a time” throughout Arizona’s postseason run. The Wildcats head coach will need to double down on his words over the coming days.
Lloyd is considered a top candidate for North Carolina’s head coach position after the school parted ways with Hubert Davis Tuesday. ESPN, CBS Sports and The Athletic are among the outlets reporting Lloyd as a candidate for the Tar Heels’ opening.
North Carolina is also considering Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan and Boston
Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens, Michigan’s Dusty May, Iowa State’s T.J. Otzelberger, Florida’s Todd Golden, Alabama’s Nate Oats and other candidates, according to reports.
North Carolina, or any other school, would have to pay a steep buyout to pry Lloyd out of Tucson. If Lloyd leaves Arizona for another job before April 15, his buyout is $11 million. That amount decreases to $9 million after April 15.
Last April, Lloyd signed a 5-year contract extension through 2030.
Lloyd, a native of Washington, has been on the West Coast his entire career. Lloyd served as an assistant at Gonzaga from 2001 to 2021, when he took the Arizona job.
Lloyd is the winningest coach through their first five seasons in men’s college basketball history with a record of 146-36.
