It’s official: Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd is not going to be the next coach at North Carolina.
On Friday, Lloyd announced he is staying, and reports surfaced that Arizona gave the head coach a new five-year contract.
Lloyd’s name had been linked to the North Carolina job ever since Hubert Davis was fired, but the Tar Heels will go back to the drawing board with another candidate off the board.
After the news came, UCLA head coach Mick Cronin was asked about Lloyd staying, and Cronin admitted he was not surprised one bit.
Cronin said he’s “not shocked” that Lloyd is staying at Arizona while mentioning the difference in the sport due to NIL.
Great catching up with @CoachMickCronin today! Mick weighed in on Tommy Lloyd staying @ArizonaMBB & the impact of NIL. pic.twitter.com/WxYNRHmnF3
— Chris Mad Dog Russo (@MadDogUnleashed) April 3, 2026
As Cronin points out, the North Carolina brand isn’t as powerful as it once was in recruiting due to players wanting large NIL packages, and rightfully so.
Lloyd, meanwhile, has Arizona in the Final Four for the first time since 2001, so things are trending in the right direction in Tucson.
North Carolina’s rumored top targets as of late were Lloyd, Michigan’s Dusty May and Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan. However, Jon Rothstein reported on Friday that Michigan is prepared to do what it takes to keep May around, so options appear to be dwindling for the Tar Heels’ job.
