Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd is ranked sixth among the top 10 coaches in the Big XII rankings posted by On3 on Monday. Kelvin Sampson of Houston is first, followed by Bill Self of Kansas, Scott Drew of Baylor, T.J. Otzelberger of Iowa State and Grant McCasland of Texas Tech.
The top three in the Big XII rankings are obvious, but the order can be questioned. Sampson has a 798–355 career record, three Final Four appearances (which all occurred in the past five years), four Big XII Tournament titles and three regular season championships.
Self is 836–256 in his career, with two national championships, four Final Four appearances, 16 Big XII regular season titles and eight tournament titles. Kansas and Self ruled the Big XII until Houston joined the conference in 2024.
Drew is 486–269 with a national championship, Final Four and his first Big XII title in 2021. Baylor won another Big XII regular season championship in 2023. Baylor has only advanced to the second round in each of the past four NCAA Tournaments.
Lloyd is 112-33 in four seasons as the Arizona head coach. Arizona won the Pac-12 regular season and tournament titles in 2022. The Wildcats repeated as the tournament champion in 2023 and won the final Pac-12 regular season title in 2024.
"6. Tommy Lloyd – Arizona
Arizona has picked right up with his approach as a constant threat, continuing to get in the mix with top prospects with a flair of international talent. The 2022 National Coach of the Year has consistently taken his team to the NCAA Tournament, promising to continue that run of success with a talented group which features young players and experienced veterans who fit the system well. The ability to string together consistent success is a huge strength of Lloyd’s which could quickly move him up the list."
McCasland is 206-97 in nine seasons as a Division I head coach at Arkansas State, North Texas and Texas Tech. McCasland led Texas Tech to the 2025 NCAA Tournament West Regional Final, where they lost to eventual national champion Florida. Texas Tech has not won any Big XII title under McCasland.
Otzelberger is 194–108 in seven seasons as a Division I head coach. Iowa State won the 2024 Big XII Tournament title and advanced to the 2022 and 2024 NCAA Tournament regional semifinals under Otzelberger.
In their first season in the Big XII, Arizona was 1-1 versus Kansas, 0-2 against Houston, 1-1 against Iowa State and 2-1 versus Texas Tech. Lloyd has won more major conference titles than McCasland or Otzerberger. Expect Arizona, Baylor, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas and Texas Tech to continue to be at the top of the Big XII standings.
Drew, Lloyd, McCasland and Otzelberger are all in the prime of their careers. Sampson will turn 70 in October and Self recently had heart surgery. The long-term future of the Big XII should remain strong with an elite group of coaches included in the above and those ranked behind them.