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The Arizona basketball team is in the Final Four. The success has suitors knocking on Tommy Lloyd’s door.
North Carolina is in search of a new coach after firing Hubert Davis. Michael Jordan is believed to have reached out in an attempt to lure Lloyd to Chapel Hill.
He can lean on the Tar Heels‘ massive NIL budget in his efforts to pry the coach away from Tucson. He will make the Wildcats pay in one way or another.
Will Tommy Lloyd leave Arizona for UNC?
Doug Gottlieb believes there is a legitimate chance it happens. He opened up on recent whispers surrounding a “fractured” relationship between the head coach and his athletic director.
The Green Bay coach spoke with Colin Cowherd on a recent podcast. He is not writing off the possibility of Lloyd leaving Arizona.
“Don’t laugh yet, Colin,” Gottlieb said of the suggestion. “That’s the working rumor in college basketball. Arizona doesn’t have that much money. There’s some fracture in the relationship there with his athletic director.
“I was told that Michael Jordan called (Tommy Lloyd) two nights ago.”
Gottlieb has heard that UNC is pursuing hard. Jordan has been in contact with the Arizona basketball coach amid his NCAA Tournament run.
His timeline puts that conversation as having occurred just before the Wildcats’ Elite Eight win over Purdue.
Can it happen? NIL numbers would suggest so.
North Carolina was one of the sport’s top spenders in 2025, with a roster believed to be north of $10 million. Arizona was not listed among teams with budgets of at least $8 million.
The Wildcats lost six players from its 2024 roster in the portal, one of which transferred to North Carolina (Henri Veesaar). It added just one new player – Harvard guard Evan Nelson.
The Wildcats did not pay for experience. Instead, Lloyd’s relied on two top upperclassmen and his evaluations of highly rated freshmen. No player on Arizona’s roster is listed among college basketball’s Top 25 earners in terms of NIL valuations.
His budget would be much bigger in Chapel Hill.
Lloyd is North Carolina’s top target.
(Tommy Lloyd) has been North Carolina’s top target since the search began. However, there hasn’t been much in terms of movement because of the success Arizona is having in the NCAA Tournament under Lloyd. After beating Purdue, the Wildcats punched their ticket to the Final Four. That means the Tar Heels have to wait for their pursuit of Lloyd.
–Tar Heels Wire (USA Today)
There are a few things that could keep UNC from prying Lloyd away, most notably an $11 million buyout. With that said, North Carolina should have the funds to make it happen if the head coach is open.
Lloyd can recruit, particularly internationally. He’s also shown the ability to develop at both Arizona and as an assistant with Gonzaga.
His style of coaching fits UNC. His roots, however, are on the West Coast.
Money talks, though, and support would be high in Chapel Hill with success. Boosters had a major impact on Hubert Davis’s ouster. They will be determined to find an upgrade, even if it means going outside of the UNC family.
Michael Jordan has made his pitch according to Gottlieb. It will force Arizona to pay in one of two ways.
The Wildcats can either open up the NIL checkbook or risk losing their coach after a Final Four appearance.