During the TNT Sports College Basketball pregame show, former Auburn and Tennessee head coach Bruce Pearl, who took the Tigers to the 2019 Final Four, called Tommy Lloyd the best coach in American that gets the least amount of talk.
Arizona was the second game of a TNT doubleheader on Saturday afternoon. Georgetown, led by former Arizona guard K.J. Lewis, won 77-64 at Butler on Saturday. Arizona won 87-74 at Arizona State on Saturday, with Koa Peat leading the Wildcats with 21 points.
Arizona has been the unanimous number one team in the Associated Press Top 25 and the USA Today Coaches poll in each of the past two weeks. The Wildcats are also first in the NCAA NetRatings. Arizona and Michigan have flipped as the top two teams in KenPom over the last week.
When the best coaches are mentioned nationally, Lloyd is seldom mentioned. Arizona has made the NCAA Tournament Regional Semifinals in three of the four seasons Lloyd has been the head coach. Arizona has failed to advance further despite being a one-seed, a two-seed twice and a four-seed.
"Tommy Lloyd right now is the best coach in America that gets the least amount of talk." 🗣️@coachbrucepearl gives the @ArizonaMBB coach his flowers as the Wildcats continue to surge 📈 pic.twitter.com/yc66SL394f
— TNT Sports U.S. (@TNTSportsUS) January 31, 2026
"I think Tommy Lloyd, right now, is the best coach in America that gets the least amount of talk...Who’s talking about Tommy Lloyd as National Coach of the Year? The last four years at Arizona, 24 wins or more....The only thing he really hasn’t done yet is make that run in the tournament. He will this year, and when he does, we’re going to start talking about Tommy Lloyd like we do all the other Hall-of-Fame coaches.”"Bruce Pearl on TNT
Record setting 2025-26 season
Lloyd has led Arizona to a record-setting 22 consecutive wins to begin the season. Twenty-two consecutive wins at the start of the season is the Arizona program record and ties 1996-97 Kansas for the best start in Big XII history.
Barring an unforeseen collapse, Arizona is a sure number one seed in the NCAA Tournament and Lloyd will likely win Big XII Coach of the Year. Lloyd will have a greater challenge to earn the National Coach of the Year. Dustin May of Michigan and Fred Hoiberg of Nebraska are two of the biggest competitors to Lloyd for NCOY.
Lloyd has continued the excellence that Arizona has had for most of the last 40 years. For Lloyd to be considered among the best coaches nationally, Arizona likely needs to advance to at least an NCAA Tournament Regional Final. This year is arguably the best Arizona team under Lloyd, with his first season in 2021-22.