Arizona AD reveals important detail about path to keeping Tommy Lloyd

Arizona Wildcats athletic director Desiree Reed-Francois gave CBS Sports college basketball insider Jon Rothstein an important update regarding Tommy Lloyd's status as UA basketball head coach after this season: Arizona AD Desiree Reed-Francois tells me the following regarding Tommy Lloyd’s future with the Wildcats: “Tommy has done a phenomenal job. He’s one of the best coaches in America. We have been engaged with his representatives about a new contract since before the start of the… — Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 26, 2026 "Tommy has done a phenomenal job," Reed-Francois told Rothstein on Thursday, March 26.

"He’s one of the best coaches in America. We have been engaged with his representatives about a new contract since before the start of the NCAA Tournament. Those discussions will continue and it is our goal that he retires as a Wildcat.

” If Arizona has been in contact with Lloyd's reps since before the NCAA Tournament started, they gained a head start on negotiations with the current Wildcats head coach that other programs did not have. For instance, the primary opening college basketball analysts routinely see Lloyd as a top fit for is North Carolina . The university did not even fire its head coach (Hubert Davis) until March 24.

If the negotiations are fluid, there's little doubt that the UNC opening has driven up the price. UA has performed better than UNC over the past four years, making each of the past three Sweet 16s (including this year's) when UNC has missed the second round these past two seasons. North Carolina, however, is the better historical program, winning six national championships compared with Arizona's one.