It has been just days since the Arizona Basketball program parted ways with Sean Miller, and already the Wildcats have a new coach in Tommy Lloyd.
Well, it is officially a new era of Arizona Basketball, following the season in which the Wildcats were fairly successful all things considered, ultimately, it wasn’t enough as the Arizona Athletic Department felt it was time to go in a different direction, officially hiring Tommy Lloyd.
Already seemingly setting the wheels in motion, the school had hired a search agency back in February with the full intent of hiring a new head coach.
Arizona Wildcats
Well, since the firing of Miller just about a week ago, there have been plenty of names that have surfaced as potential candidates, many of which were former Wildcats. However, the one name that remained consistent throughout the search was long-time Gonzaga assistant, Lloyd.
A well-respected and well-connected coach, it is believed that Lloyd has been one of the main engineers behind the recent success of the Zags, even being the coach in waiting to replace the legendary Mark Few.
Additionally, Lloyd is a young coach that is considered to have a good eye for talent, being a notoriously good recruiter, even helping to create the Euro pipeline into Spokane.
Well, after spending 20+ productive seasons with Gonzaga, it appears it is time for him to move on and take over a program of his own.
Making news via social media, Lloyd has officially been named as the new head coach, and we expect an official announcement coming from the school shortly.
So just what are the Wildcats getting with Lloyd?
Tommy Lloyd
Age: 46
Position: Assistant Head Coach
School: Gonzaga
Alma Mater: Whitman
Resume:
Gonzaga (Admin Assistant) – 2000-01
Gonzaga (Assistant/Associate Head Coach) –2001-Present
Pros:
He is an up-and-coming coach who has risen through the ranks and may finally be ready to take over a program of his own. He is one of Gonzaga’s strongest recruiters, and some think he has had a major hand in helping the Bulldogs get over the hump these past few years. If you’re going to take a risk on an assistant, Lloyd seems like the right one and he may be hungry to finally get his chance.
Cons:
Unfortunately for Lloyd, he has no head coaching experience. For him stepping in at a place like Arizona to be a first-year head coach is one hell of a move that will come with a lot of pressure and a lot of demand. Time will tell if this selection was a good one for the Wildcats, but either way, it is very much a boom or bust approach here that could be very risky.