Arizona Basketball coach Tommy Lloyd named AP Coach of the Year

Arizona Basketball head coach Tommy Lloyd racks in another National Coach of the Year Award, this time from the Associated Press. 

Let’s count ’em! That is now one, two, and three, National Coach of the Year Awards for Arizona Basketball head coach Tommy Lloyd.

Just days after being named the NABC and the U.S. Basketball Writers Association National Coach of the Year, the Associated Press added more hardware to Lloyd’s trophy case.

On Friday afternoon, Lloyd was officially named the National Coach of the Year by the non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City.

Lloyd’s first season with the Wildcats was an impressive one. As we all are aware, Lloyd racked up 33 wins to just four losses, earning a No. 1 seed in the South Region, he made a Sweet 16 appearance, set a record for most conference wins in Pac-12 history with 18, and won both the Pac-12 regular-season and conference tournament championships.

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 Associated Press.

Beating out some rather stiff competition, Lloyd is the first Arizona coach to win any National Coach of the Year award since Lute Olson won the Clair Bee Coach of the Year award in 2001-02.

Coach Lloyd is also in rare territory following this season, as he is just the third first-year head coach to win the AP’s prestigious award. He joins Drake’s Keno Davis who won it in 2008 and Indiana State’s Bill Hodges who won it in 1979.

Even more impressive, is that Lloyd has the opportunity to add more hardware as Tommy is one of four finalists for the Naismith Coach of the Year. The winner of that award will be announced on Sunday.

Here’s just a little recap of how that first season went for Arizona…

Team 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.