By SAM LANCE
Tommy Lloyd will be the head man of Arizona basketball for the foreseeable future as the Wildcats move into arguably the toughest conference in America next year: the Big 12. Lloyd was extended five years on Monday afternoon, keeping him in Tucson until 2029. The contract is still pending the Arizona Board of Regents approval, per Arizona Athletics.
The contract is worth $5.25 million in year one and will escalate to $6 million in year five. This would make Lloyd one of the top five to six highest paid coaches in college hoops.
“Tommy has proven to be a championship coach, an exceptional leader and recruiter, and has reinvigorated Wildcat pride by transforming the University of Arizona men’s basketball program back into one of the top programs in the nation,” University of Arizona President Robert C. Robbins said. “We are thrilled that he will remain a Wildcat for years to come. Thanks to the generosity of many in our community who love and support this university and are invested in its future, donor funds have been secured to cover the full cost increase of the extension.”
Donor funds will fully cover Lloyd’s increase in “university-paid” compensation.
Lloyd arrived at Arizona in 2021 and has since enjoyed an 81-16 overall record and 43-11 mark in conference play. He shattered the NCAA record for most wins by a head coach in his first two seasons with 61 victories. During that time, he led the team to the 2022 Pac-12 regular season championship and consecutive Pac-12 Tournament victories in 2022 and 2023. Lloyd also propelled Arizona to the No. 1 spot in the AP Poll this season for the first time in 10 years.
In Lloyd’s two NCAA Tournament appearances, he has made the Sweet Sixteen (2022) and lost to No.15-seeded Princeton in the first round (2023). Arizona currently sits at 20-5 and in first place of the Pac 12 conference. The NCAA selection committee deemed that good for a No. 1 seed in the recent top-16 overall seed reveal this past Saturday. Lloyd and Arizona will likely be the winner of the Pac 12 conference in its final season before extinction.
“I am humbled and grateful to finalize a long-term extension here at the University of Arizona. I am energized by the support of our fans, our players, our alumni, President Robbins, the Board of Regents and our donors,” Lloyd said. “All of us are aligned on maintaining a highly competitive and nationally recognized basketball program that provides a great experience for the student athletes. We will continue to honor the Wildcat basketball heritage and give everything we have to make people proud to say ‘Bear Down!'”
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