Tommy Lloyd

{{short description|American basketball player and coach (born 1974)}}

{{about||the English footballer|Tommy Lloyd (footballer)|other people with similar names|Tom Lloyd (disambiguation){{!}}Tom Lloyd}}

{{Infobox college coach

| name = Tommy Lloyd

| image = Tommy Lloyd 2 (cropped).jpg

| caption = Lloyd with Arizona in 2021

| current_title = Head coach

| current_team = Arizona Wildcats

| current_conference = Big 12

| contract = $5.25 Million

| current_record = {{winpct|112|33|record=y}}

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1974|12|21}}

| birth_place = Kelso, Washington, U.S.

| alma_mater = Whitman

| player_years1 = 1993–1995

| player_team1 = Walla Walla CC

| player_years2 = 1995–1996

| player_team2 = CSU–Pueblo

| player_years3 = 1996–1998

| player_team3 = Whitman

| player_positions = Small forward

| admin_years1 = 2000–2001

| admin_team1 = Gonzaga (admin. asst.)

| coach_years1 = 2001–2021

| coach_team1 = Gonzaga (assistant)

| coach_years2 = 2021–present

| coach_team2 = Arizona

| coach_sport3 = National

| coach_years3 = 2024–present

| coach_team3 = USA U-19

| overall_record = {{winpct|112|33|record=y}}

| tournament_record = 6–3 (NCAA Division I)

| championships = {{Plainlist|

2× Pac-12 tournament (2022, 2023)
2× Pac-12 regular season (2022, 2024)

}}

| awards = {{Plainlist|

}}

| medaltemplates = {{MedalSport|Head coach for {{USA}}}}

}}

Tommy Lloyd (born December 21, 1974) is an American college basketball coach who is the current head coach at the University of Arizona of the Big 12 Conference. His 61 wins in the first two seasons are the most for any head coach in NCAA Division I history.{{Cite web |title=Arizona advances to Pac-12 semis with win over Stanford |url=https://arizonasports.com/story/3515212/arizona-advances-to-pac-12-semis-with-win-over-stanford/#:~:text=Lloyd%20won%20his%2059th%20game,Guthridge%20held%20the%20previous%20mark.}}

In the summer of 2024, he was the head coach of the United States men's national under-19 basketball team at the 2024 FIBA U18 Men’s AmeriCup in Buenos Aires.{{cite web |title=Lloyd Named Head Coach of 2024 USA Basketball U18 National Team |url=https://arizonawildcats.com/news/2024/2/2/mens-basketball-lloyd-named-head-coach-of-2024-usa-basketball-u19-national-team.aspx}} Lloyd continued his role in 2025 as the USA basketball men's U–19 coach.{{Cite web |title=2025 USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team Coaching Staffs Announced |url=https://www.usab.com/news/2025/01/2025-usa-basketball-mens-junior-national-team-coaching-staffs-announced}}

Playing career

Born and raised in Kelso, Washington, Lloyd graduated from Kelso High School in 1993. During his senior year, he led the Hilanders to a 21–4 record and to the WIAA state 4A tournament, their first appearance in fifteen years.{{cite web | url=http://www.wiaa.com/ardisplay.aspx?ID=473| title=WIAA Tournament History: School Information| publisher=Washington Interscholastic Athletic Association | author= | date= 7 June 2011 | accessdate=7 June 2011}}

Lloyd began his collegiate career at Walla Walla Community College in Walla Walla; his 52 points against Treasure Valley Community College still stands as the school's single-game record.{{cite web | url=http://www.wwcc.edu/CMS/fileadmin/PDF/Athletics/Mens_basketball/2010-11_Media_Guide.pdf| title=Walla Walla Community College Basketball Media Guide| publisher=Walla Walla Community College | author= | date= 7 June 2011 | accessdate=7 June 2011}} In his sophomore season, he averaged over twenty points per game and was selected to the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges (now Northwest Athletic Conference) Eastern All-Star team. After graduating from WWCC, Lloyd transferred to Colorado State University–Pueblo. After one year with the ThunderWolves, he returned to Walla Walla to play his senior season at Whitman College,{{cite web | url=http://www.whitman.edu/athletics/Flashback/1996-97/Articles/preview96mbb.html| title=Whitman Adds Talented Newcomers to Solid Corps of Returning Starters| publisher=Whitman.edu | author= | date= 22 November 1996 | accessdate=7 June 2011}}{{cite web | url=http://tdn.com/sports/38baf07c-1081-11df-99ff-001cc4c002e0.html| title=Kelso grad Lloyd a key component of Zags' success| publisher=The Walla Walla Union-Bulletin | author= Jim Bucham| date= 2 February 2010 | accessdate=7 June 2011}} and graduated in 1998.

Lloyd played professionally in Australia and Germany.

Coaching career

=Gonzaga=

According to a 2020 story by ESPN journalist Jeff Borzello, Lloyd's journey to his assistant coach position at Gonzaga actually began while he was playing in junior college. At the time, Gonzaga was still recruiting in Walla Walla's conference. After watching Lloyd, Gonzaga coach Dan Monson told him that he would not be offered a scholarship, but that if he ever wanted to go into coaching, he should give Monson a call. He made the call to Monson after his Whitman career, but had to back out once receiving an opportunity to play overseas. After his playing career, he and his wife Chanelle spent several months backpacking on several continents before he decided to begin a coaching career. By that time, Monson had left for Minnesota immediately after Gonzaga's 1999 Elite Eight run, and his top assistant Mark Few had replaced him as the Zags' head coach. Few honored the tacit agreement Monson had made with Lloyd, and Lloyd joined the men's basketball staff as a volunteer administrative assistant in 2000, becoming a full-time assistant the next year.[http://www.gozags.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/tommy_lloyd_966371.html Coach Bio: Tommy Lloyd - GONZAGA OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE]{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/28778780/gonzaga-tommy-lloyd-helped-construct-heir-throne-remarkable-hoops-dynasty |title=Gonzaga's Tommy Lloyd helped construct — and is heir to the throne of — a remarkable hoops dynasty |first=Jeff |last=Borzello |website=ESPN.com |date=February 26, 2020 |accessdate=February 27, 2020}}

Lloyd soon became Gonzaga's key international recruiter. He began to develop a niche as an international recruiter early in his tenure on Few's staff. In Borzello's story, Few recalled that one area where he wanted Lloyd to develop was recruiting, telling him that in order to become an assistant at a top program, he needed a niche. Few told Borzello,{{blockquote|He loved traveling over in Europe. And I told him, hey, if you want to make it in this business, you gotta develop a niche, you gotta have something different than somebody else. There's so many guys in this business, you have to separate yourself. So he kind of figured out like, "Hey, I can figure out how to do this European thing and see if I can establish a network and trust, you know, some real expertise over there." And he's done that.}}

Among the international players that Lloyd has played a role in recruiting are former Bulldogs Mario Kasun (Croatia), Ronny Turiaf (France), J.P. Batista (Brazil), Abdullahi Kuso (Nigeria), Robert Sacre (Canada), Kelly Olynyk (Canada), Elias Harris (Germany), Kevin Pangos (Canada), Przemek Karnowski (Poland), Domantas Sabonis (Lithuania), Rui Hachimura (Japan), Killian Tillie (France), Filip Petrušev (Serbia), Joël Ayayi (France), Martynas Arlauskas (Lithuania), Pavel Zakharov (Russia), and Oumar Ballo (Mali).{{cite web|title=Karnowski blossoming into Gonzaga's next standout foreign big man|url=https://www.si.com/college-basketball/2014/11/26/gonzaga-bulldogs-karnowski-sabonis-lloyd|accessdate=November 26, 2014}}{{cite web|title=International pipeline of big men helps fuel Gonzaga's success|website=USA Today |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2014/12/05/gonzaga-domantas-sabonis-przemek-karnowski-mark-few/19951513/|accessdate=December 5, 2014}}{{cite web|title=Next international wave will set up Zags for a while, says GU's Lloyd|url=http://www.heinnews.com/basketball/nba/next-international-wave-will-set-up-zags-for-a-while-says-gus-lloyd/|date=December 9, 2015}}{{cite web|title=Gonzaga lands promising French recruit|url=http://www.krem.com/sports/gonzaga-bulldogs/gonzaga-lands-promising-french-recruit/434614931|date=April 27, 2017}} Lloyd has also been integral in developing NBA players for Gonzaga like Turiaf, Adam Morrison, Jeremy Pargo, Austin Daye, Sacre, Olynyk, Kyle Wiltjer, Sabonis, Zach Collins, Hachimura, and Brandon Clarke.

Lloyd had previously turned down numerous interview requests for head-coaching positions during his Gonzaga tenure. He was contractually guaranteed of becoming the Bulldogs' next head coach upon Few's departure. Gonzaga athletic director Mike Roth said, "Tommy has it in writing from me and the [university] president that says, as long as he's here, when Mark retires, it's your job. He's got a document. I've got a document. The president's got a document. Our general counsel has a document. It's his job." However, in 2021, Lloyd left Gonzaga for the head-coaching position at the University of Arizona.

=Arizona=

Two weeks after the 2021 NCAA tournament ended, Lloyd was announced as a candidate for the vacant head-coaching position at Arizona, which had been led the previous 12 seasons by Sean Miller. On April 15, 2021, Lloyd was introduced as Arizona's 18th head basketball coach.{{cite web|title=Arizona Names Tommy Lloyd as Men's Basketball Head Coach|url=https://arizonawildcats.com/news/2021/4/14/mens-basketball-arizona-names-tommy-lloyd-as-mens-basketball-head-coach.aspx|accessdate=April 14, 2021}} Coach Lloyd earned his first win in his first collegiate game as a head coach on November 9, 2021, beating Northern Arizona 81–52.{{Cite web|title=Arizona opens Lloyd era with 81-52 win over Northern Arizona|url=https://arizonawildcats.com/news/2021/11/9/mens-basketball-arizona-opens-lloyd-era-with-81-52-win-over-northern-arizona.aspx}} Two weeks after his first career coaching victory, he earned his first victory over a ranked opponent, No. 4 Michigan, 80–62 to win the Roman Main Event and start the season 5–0.{{Cite web|title=Arizona dominates No. 4 Michigan 80-62 to win Roman Main Event|url=https://arizonawildcats.com/news/2021/11/21/mens-basketball-arizona-dominates-no-4-michigan-80-62-to-win-roman-main-event.aspx}} Also with his 5–0 start, Coach Lloyd became the first in division I history to win his first five games, win by an average of 30 points per game & beat an AP top-5 team. Arizona entered the top 25 AP Poll for the first time under Coach Lloyd at Number 17, on November 22, 2021.{{cite web |title=AP Top 25 College Basketball Poll, Week 3 |url=https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll?week=3 |website=AP News}} On December 5, Coach Lloyd defeated his first Pac-12 opponent in his first Pac-12 game, the Oregon State Beavers, 90–65.{{cite web |title=#11 Arizona Surges to 90-65 Win at Oregon State |url=https://arizonawildcats.com/news/2021/12/5/mens-basketball-11-arizona-surges-to-90-65-win-at-oregon-state.aspx |website=Arizonawildcats.com}} In the December 13, 2021 AP poll, Arizona reached the top 10 for the first time under coach Lloyd, coming in at number 8.{{cite web |title=Arizona Wildcats climb 3 spots in AP rankings after win at Illinois|url=https://arizonasports.com/story/2934803/arizona-climbs-ap-college-basketball-rankings-after-win-at-illinois/|website=Arizonasports.com}} Coach Lloyd lost the first game of his career & season in Knoxville on December 22, 2021, 73–77 against no. 19 Tennessee.{{Cite web|title=No. 19 Tennessee hands No. 6 Arizona first loss 77-73|url=https://arizonawildcats.com/news/2021/12/22/mens-basketball-no-19-tennessee-hands-no-6-arizona-first-loss-77-73.aspx}} On January 17, 2022, Arizona made it into the top 5 for the first time under Coach Lloyd, coming in at no. 3 in the AP poll. It was the program's first time in the top 5 since the 2017–18 season.{{Cite web|title=AP Top 25 Poll, week 11|website=Associated Press News |url=https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll}} The AP poll's update on February 21, 2022, placed Arizona no. 2 in the nation, following only Lloyd's former team, Gonzaga. Coach Lloyd & the Arizona Wildcats would win their 1st regular season conference title under Lloyd & 17th overall as a program with a 91–71 win over USC. After defeating Cal in the final regular season game, 89–61, Arizona & Coach Lloyd became the first program & coach to win 18 conference games in one season. They earned the Number 1 seed in the 2022 Pac-12 tournament. Coach Lloyd & Arizona would go on to defeat Stanford 84–80 in the Quarterfinals, Colorado 82–72 in the Semifinals & UCLA 84–76 in the finals to win Arizona’s eighth conference tournament title overall & Coach Lloyd’s first. Following the end of the season Coach Lloyd won the AP Coach of the Year, NABC Coach of the Year & USBWA Coach of the Year.{{cite web |title=Arizona's Tommy Lloyd wins AP men's coach of the year|website=Associated Press News |url=https://apnews.com/article/tommy-lloyd-arizona-coach-of-the-year-e6216b4735a7a6898292716cd154dd3c}}{{cite web |last1= |first1= |title=NABC Coach of the Year Awards|url=https://nabc.com/awards/coy/|website=NABC}}

Before the 2022–23 season, Arizona had three players, Bennedict Mathruin (Pacers), Dalen Terry(Bulls) & Christian Koloko (Raptors) taken in the 2022 NBA draft. Arizona would begin the season 6–0, which included winning the 2023 Maui Invitational with wins over No.17 San Diego State & No. 10 Creighton.{{Cite web |title=Aloha Arizona! Wildcats Win Maui Jim Maui Invitational! |url=https://mauiinvitational.com/news/2022/11/23/general-aloha-arizona-wildcats-win-maui-jim-maui-invitational.aspx}} The team also played in the Las Vegas Clash, a neutral site game against No. 14 Indiana, which Arizona won 89–75.{{Cite web |title=No. 10 Arizona tops No. 14 Indiana 89-75 in Vegas clash |url=https://www.google.com/search?q=las+vegas+clash+arizona+wins#ip=1}} Arizona's last big non-conference matchup would feature a home game against No. 6 Tennessee, with Arizona winning 75–70.{{Cite web |title=No. 9 Arizona outlasts No. 6 Tennessee in physical 75-70 win |url=https://arizonawildcats.com/news/2022/12/17/mens-basketball-no-9-arizona-outlasts-no-6-tennessee-in-physical-75-70-win.aspx}} Arizona & Coach Lloyd would end the non-conference part of the schedule with a record of 12–0. Lloyd would become the fastest coach to 50 wins, doing so in 57 games, with a 58–52 win over their rival No. 5 UCLA, it was Arizona's 5th win over a ranked team during the season.{{Cite web |title=No. 11 Arizona locks down No. 5 UCLA to snap Bruins' 14-game win streak |url=https://www.yahoo.com/now/no-11-arizona-hands-no-213841422.html#:~:text=Arizona%20head%20coach%20Tommy%20Lloyd,teams%20since%20arriving%20in%20Tucson.}} Arizona would end the season losing to their rival in Los Angeles, 73–82, giving them an overall record of 25–6 & 14–6 in conference play. They would enter postseason play ranked No. 8 overall & the No. 2 in the 2023 Pac-12 Tournament in Las Vegas. Arizona defeated No. 10 seed Stanford Cardinal 95–84, which was his 59th career win, the most of any head coach to start their coaching career.{{Cite web |title=Arizona Basketball {{!}} Tommy Lloyd on having most wins all-time in first two years as a coach {{!}} March 9, 2023 |url=https://www.news-journal.com/arizona-basketball-tommy-lloyd-on-having-most-wins-all-time-in-first-two-years-as/video_b53b78ae-5954-577e-acde-82aebc6bfc17.html}} Arizona defeated Arizona State in the Semifinals, 78-59. Arizona then defeated rivals UCLA 61-59 to win Arizona’s ninth conference tournament title overall, and the second title in a row. He became the first power conference head coach to win his conference tournament championships in his first two seasons as head coach.{{Cite web |title=First power conference head coach |url=https://arizonawildcats.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/coaches/tommy-lloyd/5652}} Arizona earn a No. 2 seed in the South Region of the 2023 NCAA Tournament, with a first round match up against Ivy League Champion and No. 15 seed Princeton. Arizona was upset 55–59, ending their season with an overall record of 28–7. His 61 wins through his first two seasons as head coach are the most in Division I history.{{Cite web |title=NCAA Record for most wins in first two seasons |url=https://arizonawildcats.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/coaches/tommy-lloyd/5652}}

Arizona began the 2024–25 season as a member of the Big-12 Conference after spending the previous 50 seasons in the Pac-12 Conference. The team was ranked number 10 in the preseason AP Poll. Arizona ended non-conference play 6–5 with a 4th place finish in the Battle 4 Atlantis. Lloyd would win his first Big 12 conference game in the first match up against TCU 90–81.{{Cite web |title=Caleb Love hits 5 3s, scores 33 as Arizona beats TCU 90-81 in Big 12 opener |url=https://arizonawildcats.com/news/2024/12/30/mens-basketball-caleb-love-hits-5-3s-scores-33-as-arizona-beats-tcu-90-81-in-big-12-opener.aspx}} Coach Lloyd won his 100th game as head coach doing so in his 126th game overall and became the 10th fastest to do so in a Power Conference.{{Cite web |title=Tommy Lloyd is among fastest college basketball coaches to earn 100th win |url=https://zonazealots.com/tommy-lloyd-is-among-fastest-college-basketball-coaches-to-earn-100th-win-01jj681f4yjq}}

= United States =

Lloyd became the head coach of the United States under-19 men's national basketball team in 2024.{{cite web |title=2024 USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team Coaching Staffs Announced |url=https://www.usab.com/news/2024/02/2024-usa-basketball-mens-junior-national-team-coaching-staffs-announced}} Lloyd coached the 2024 FIBA U18 Men’s AmeriCup in Buenos Aires, Argentina from June 3–9, 2024 alongside his assistant coaches Grant McCasland (Texas Tech University) and Micah Shrewsberry (University of Notre Dame).{{Cite web |title=2024 FIBA U18 AmeriCup |url=https://www.fiba.basketball/americas/u18/2024}} The team won gold by going 6–0, winning by an average of 41.5 points.{{Cite web |title=USA Basketball Captures Seventh Straight Gold Medal at the 2024 FIBA Men's U18 AmeriCup |url=https://www.usab.com/news/2024/06/usa-basketball-captures-seventh-straight-gold-medal-at-2024-fiba-mens-u18-americup}} With the win the team qualified for the 2025 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup in Switzerland in which Coach Lloyd will be the head coach.{{Cite web |title=2024 FIBA U18 AmeriCup |url=https://www.fiba.basketball/americas/u18/2024/event-guide}}

Head coaching record

{{CBB Yearly Record Start | type = | conference = | postseason = | poll = }}

{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead

| name = Arizona Wildcats

| conference = Pac-12 Conference

| startyear = 2021

| endyear = 2024

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = confboth

| season = 2021–22

| name = Arizona

| overall = 33–4

| conference = 18–2

| confstanding = 1st

| postseason = NCAA Division I Sweet 16

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = conference tournament

| season = 2022–23

| name = Arizona

| overall = 28–7

| conference = 14–6

| confstanding = T–2nd

| postseason = NCAA Division I Round of 64

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = conference

| season = 2023–24

| name = Arizona

| overall = 27–9

| conference = 15–5

| confstanding = 1st

| postseason = NCAA Division I Sweet 16

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead

| name = Arizona Wildcats

| conference = Big 12 Conference

| startyear = 2024

| endyear =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 2024–25

| name = Arizona

| overall = 24–13

| conference = 14–6

| confstanding = T–3rd

| postseason = NCAA Division I Sweet 16

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 2025–26

| name = Arizona

| overall = 0–0

| conference = 0–0

| confstanding =

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal

| name = Arizona

| overall = {{winpct|112|33|record=y}}

| confrecord = {{winpct|61|19|record=y}}

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record End

| overall = {{winpct|112|33|record=y}}

}}

Personal life

Tommy Lloyd and his wife Chanelle built a new house in Spokane in 2018, with a "video game system covered in Gonzaga paraphernalia in the basement." They have two daughters and two sons, including Liam, who plays basketball at Arizona. During the construction of their former home, the family lived in the childhood home of Bulldogs legend and Hall of Famer John Stockton. Since becoming coach at Arizona, Lloyd has become an avid pickleball player.{{Cite web |title=March Madness Confidential: Arizona Head Coach Tommy Lloyd plays pickleball |url=https://tucson.com/sports/arizonawildcats/basketball/arizonas-tommy-lloyd-sean-pickle-miller-dominate-pickleball-courts-together-in-tucson/article_ae144fd8-be49-11ed-8c9c-dfd3d867bbbc.html}} His favorite band is Beastie Boys.

Awards, records and achievements

=NCAA=

AP Coach of the Year (2022)

NABC Coach of the Year (2022)

USBWA Coach of the Year (2022)

2nd most wins in three seasons with 88 (Brad Stevens){{cite web |title=NCAA Tournament notebook: Sweet 16 win would tie Tommy Lloyd for most victories in 1st 3 seasons |url=https://www.azdesertswarm.com/basketball/2024/3/27/24114071/arizona-wildcats-mens-basketball-notebook-clemson-tigers-tommy-lloyd-brad-brownell-sweet16-2024}}

Most wins in first two seasons with 61

2nd most wins in first seasons with 33 (Bill Guthridge)

=Pac-12 Conference=

Longest home court winning streak to start career with 26{{Cite web |title=Seen and heard: Tommy Lloyd extends historic home winning streak, Kylan Boswell shines |url=https://tucson.com/sports/arizonawildcats/basketball/seen-and-heard-tommy-lloyd-extends-historic-home-winning-streak-kylan-boswell-shines/article_57cc6dd4-8d4f-11ed-9304-53da4531af80.html}}

First power conference coach to win his conference tournament in his first two seasons{{Cite web |title=Tommy Lloyd Bio |url=https://arizonawildcats.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/coaches/tommy-lloyd/5832}}

First and only Pac-12 coach to win 18 regular season conference games

Fastest coach to 50 wins (57 Games)

=Arizona=

First Arizona coach to win 20 games in first three seasons{{Cite web |title=Tommy Lloyd confident in winning formula |url=https://247sports.com/college/arizona/article/arizona-basketball-notebook-tommy-lloyd-confident-winning-formula-227403513/}}