INDIANAPOLIS — In the highly competitive and increasingly expensive world of high-level college basketball, Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd says he wants his program to be a “locomotive,” with everyone at the school pushing in the same direction toward success.
His new five-year, $37.5 million contract — and assurances of increased resources — might indicate the tracks have been laid down.
Lloyd's new contract not only pays him an average of $7.5 million per season through 2030-31, giving him a 31% raise to $7.19 million for the 2026-27 season, but it also gives Lloyd more control over the financial support for his roster budget and a minimum $2.9 million annually for a staff salary pool.
In addition, Lloyd is immediately eligible for a $1 million bonus if UA wins the national championship and will receive an extra $500,000 in annual compensation for the remainder of the contract after a title.
UA did not release the full offer terms of Lloyd’s agreement Friday, a record that will eventually become a public record, but the Star was told UA president Suresh Garimella will now have a more direct role in working with Lloyd on his program’s finances.
Since Lloyd was hired by then-athletic director Dave Heeke and then-president Robert Robbins in April 2021, upper management and the financial environment has changed around his program.
Arizona athletic director Desireé Reed-Francois was hired in early 2024, at the height of UA’s campus-wide financial crisis, while Garimella was hired later that year with a background in mechanical engineering and financial management. Reed-Francois was the AD at Missouri, while Garimella was the University of Vermont's president.
Lloyd said Friday, “it wasn’t meant to be a leverage deal,” but all indications were that he had been pushing for resources while North Carolina had been reportedly expressing an interest in him for its prestigious job.
Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd clips down the remains of the net following the Wildcats' win in the Western Conference Regional Final over Purdue to advance to the Final Four, March 28, 2026, in San Jose, Calif.
Lloyd had signed a five-year deal last April that didn’t give him a raise over what his previous contract had scheduled him to be paid, but it added a clause saying UA must agree with him on a roster budget by every Feb. 15 for the following season.
UA’s roster budget was believed to be about $10 million this season, less than many elite teams, made up of $3.5 million from the university in revenue-sharing and outside-paid NIL funds.
Under terms of the House agreement reached last June, schools are allowed to pay their athletes up to $20.5 million in revenue-sharing funds across all sports, but UA and many others are not releasing the percentages they give each sport for competitive reasons.
Still, UA men’s basketball is expected to receive more than the 17% cut it is believed to have received from the school this season, a percentage that is lower than the industry average of 20.3 that NIL advisory firm Opendorse has cited.
In addition, UA has agreed to increase fundraising efforts for outside-paid NIL money, a feature that is now allowed under NCAA rules — but could potentially divert donor funds from general athletic department use to men’s basketball. Facility upgrades are also possible.
After Lloyd's news conference Friday at Lucas Oil Stadium, Reed-Francois declined to offer immediate specifics, confirming only that Lloyd would receive a new-five year deal taking him through 2030-31.
"We made the announcement, so we want to focus on our team," Reed-Francois said. "But I'm very excited that we got this extension done, and look forward to the incredible trajectory of our program."
While efforts to reach Garimella during the negotiations were unsuccessful, the UA president said in a statement he was glad an agreement was reached to extend Lloyd's contract.
"This past season is among the finest in Arizona Athletics history, reflecting the culture he has built and the consistency of the program," Garimella said. "He has re-established Arizona basketball as one of the nation's best programs and leads a team that is unified and performing at the highest levels on the court and in the classroom."
Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd calls up the next drill during the Wildcats open practice the day before taking on Michigan in the Final Four in Indianapolis, April 3, 2026.
Asked what clinched the agreement, whether it was the amount of revenue-sharing funds from UA, school efforts to raise NIL money or something else, Lloyd declined to offer specifics.
"It's a holistic approach," Lloyd said. "Everything surrounding it needs to push it forward. It's my (job) to be captain of the ship and put everything behind our program. It's not easy getting that alignment and I think we are taking big steps toward doing that."
Several UA players said they were glad to hear Lloyd was staying, and the news could also be particularly impactful to the Wildcats' future. Two top instate UA recruiting targets attending a USA Basketball junior minicamp in nearby Westfield, Darius Wabbington and Adan Diggs, said Friday evening they were aware of Lloyd's decision.
“I was getting a little nervous hearing all the rumors,” said Wabbington, a five-star center in the class of 2027 from Phoenix Sunnyslope. “It’s good to hear that he’s staying. He’s done a great thing for Arizona. He and the assistants have done a great job.”
Diggs, who was a teammate of UA signee Cameron Holmes at Goodyear Millennium this season, said Lloyd’s decision makes a “big difference” in his thought process.
Rated as a Top 10 player in the class of 2028, Diggs says he’s considering a reclassification that would make him eligible to play collegiately in 2027-28.
“I’m glad to hear he’s coming back,” Diggs said of Lloyd. “I heard a lot of rumors that he was leaving. I’m not there yet (in making a decision) but I’m glad he said that. He’s a great dude.”
Over his five years as the Wildcats’ coach, Lloyd has expressed how Arizona fits him in basketball and local culture. His parents moved to Tucson from the western Washington town of Kelso, where Lloyd grew up, and Lloyd’s son, Liam, is on his staff — and now has two children of his own.
Then there’s UA fans, who rallied in excitement to see the Wildcats reach the Final Four after five straight Elite Eight losses.
Arizona men's basketball coach Tommy Lloyd waves to a crowd of eager fans during the Wildcats' Final Four sendoff outside McKale Center, April 1, 2026.
At the end of his news conference Friday, when only students were allowed to ask questions, Lloyd was asked in general about what he felt separated Arizona from other programs.
He began by talking about one type of Arizona fan, “a guy about my age who hasn’t shaved in a few days,” wearing a flat-bill hat and jersey.
“What 50-year-old dudes were jerseys?” Lloyd said. “You know who does? Arizona basketball fans. And I love those guys. I connect with those people.”
Lloyd offered similar love to Tucsonans in general.
“I think Tucson gets an interesting rap,” he said. “It's the little brother or whatever to Phoenix, and Phoenix is great. It's cool hanging out in Scottsdale. But people that choose to live in Tucson are choosing to live there because they're a little bit different and they love the things Tucson is about.
“All those things resonated with me and connected with me.”
Also, with his family.
Four generations of Lloyds now live in the Catalina Foothills, with a pickleball court outside and a vibe around them Tommy Lloyd says they all love.
Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd and his family pose for photos with his son, senior guard Liam Lloyd, during a pre-game ceremony before the matchup against Arizona State at McKale Center on March 4, 2025.
“The roots are getting pretty deep,” Lloyd said. “You can grow roots in the desert. Trust me.”
