Tommy Lloyd is named the NABC National Coach of the Year

Following a historic first season, the Arizona Basketball head coach Tommy Lloyd was named the National Coach of the Year by the NABC. 

It was a fantastic and historic year for Tommy Lloyd and Arizona Basketball as the Wildcats cruised to an impressive 33-4 (18-2) record, racking up several, big wins, and securing a regular-season conference championship and conference tournament championship before ultimately falling to fifth-seeded Houston in the Sweet 16.

Although Arizona wasn’t the last team remaining in the NCAA Tournament or didn’t make that elusive Final Four, the season was still largely seen as a huge success. Especially when you consider it was coach Lloyd’s first season with the Wildcats and as a head coach.

So naturally, with how well the year went for the Wildcats, head coach Tommy Lloyd was named the National Coach of the Year by the NABC.

Making news on Tuesday afternoon, the National Association of Basketball Coaches announced their pick for this years’ College Basketball’s National Coach of the Year, and without surprise, it was Tommy Lloyd.

Beating out some rather stiff competition, Lloyd is the first Arizona coach to win the prestigious award, and he is in rare territory as he also joins Lute Olson who was the last Arizona coach to receive any sort of national coaching recognition. For those that don’t recall, Olson was named the Clair Bee Coach of the Year in 2001-02.

And for those that need a reminder of just how impressive Tommy Lloyd’s first season in Tucson was, here’s a little recap…

Overall Coaching Record: 33-4 (18-2)
Current Record: 33-4 (18-2)

Coaching Highlights for 2021-22:

• First-Year Head Coach.
• Won over 30 games in the regular season.
• Won 18 conference games, the most in a single season in Pac-12 history.
• Predicted to finish in the middle of the Pac-12, has won the regular-season Pac-12 title.
• Won the Conference Regular Season and Conference Tournament Championship.
• Was Named the Conference Head Coach of the Year.
• Went from unranked to earning the No. 2 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.
• The offense was prolific averaging 84.0 points per game which ranked No. 3 overall.
• The team led the county in assists with 19.6 per game.
• The team was ranked No. 16 overall in team defensive efficiency.
• Had a player on the Naismith and John R. Wooden Award watchlists.
• Had the Conference Player of the Year, the Conference Defensive Player of the Year, the conference’s Most Improved Player of the Year, and multiple All-Team Selections.
• Earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.