INDIANAPOLIS—Though it didn’t end the way it wanted, what Arizona accomplished during the 2025-26 season should be celebrated, particularly the job Tommy Lloyd did.
Lloyd has been named the Naismith Men’s College Coach of the Year, the fifth national coaching award he’s won in five seasons with the Wildcats, second for this season. Last month he earned Sporting News’ Coach of the Year award as well as Big 12 Coach of the Year.
Lloyd led the UA to a 36-3 record, the most wins in school history, in addition to Big 12 regular season and conference tournament championships, then piloted the Wildcats to their first Final Four appearance since 2001. Arizona was eliminated by Michigan in the national semifinals on Saturday night.
The 51-year-old Lloyd is 148-36 at Arizona, the most wins by a coach in their first five seasons. In his first year, in 2021-22, he earned Coach of the Year honors from the Associated Press, NABC and USBWA.
Lloyd recently agreed to a 5-year contract extension that will keep him with Arizona through the 2030-31 season. That came as a result of North Carolina pursuing him for its head coaching vacancy.
