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Opinion | Trump and Bismarck in the Same Sentence
Tommy Lloyd agrees to new 5-year deal with Arizona
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Jeff Borzello
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Jeff Borzello
ESPN Staff Writer
- Basketball recruiting insider.
- Joined ESPN in 2014.
- Graduate of University of Delaware.
Multiple Authors
INDIANAPOLIS — Coach Tommy Lloyd has agreed to a new deal with Arizona, he announced Friday.
“I’m staying at Arizona,” he said at a Friday news conference.
After days of ambiguous statements about his future when being asked about the North Carolina job opening, Lloyd agreed to a new five-year deal with the school.
“Arizona basketball, you guys know what it means to me, and when I say it’s a special place, that always comes from the bottom of my heart,” Lloyd said.
In a reference to rumored phone calls from Michael Jordan to Lloyd about the Carolina job — which Lloyd said never happened — the 51-year-old expressed his pride in staying in Tucson.
“I made a decision that my Michael Jordan is Steve Kerr, and I’m proud to be an Arizona Wildcat,” he said.
Per ESPN sources, Arizona’s new deal with Lloyd will make him one of the five highest-paid coaches in college basketball, as he’ll start in 2026-27 at nearly $7.2 million and will average $7.5 million over the life of the deal.
The deal also includes significant bonuses and additional commitment to staff salary pool. The buyout is expected to remain significant both ways, as the deal is fully guaranteed, and the buyout to leave for another job, which was $9 million under the old deal, is expected to remain high.
“To me it’s a holistic approach,” Lloyd said. “There’s not one thing anymore. Arizona basketball needs to become a locomotive where everything surrounding it is pushing it forward.”
Lloyd expressed his appreciation of athletic director Desiree Reed-Francois and president Suresh Garimella on their work agreeing to the deal and projecting the future for Arizona basketball.
“Tommy Lloyd is the best coach in college basketball, and we have a strong conviction in the future of Arizona Basketball under his leadership,” Reed-Francois said in a statement. “Our program’s success this season — winning championships, competing on the sport’s biggest stage and excelling academically — is a testament to the standard that he and his staff have established. He has recruited and developed student-athletes of character who make a positive impact on our team, our campus and our community. Tommy has strengthened our foundation while honoring the tradition that makes Arizona Basketball one of the premier programs in the country, and we are thrilled that he will continue to lead this program at the highest level for years to come.”
“Coach Lloyd has led our men’s basketball program with clarity of purpose and a commitment to excellence,” Garimella said in statement. “This past season is among the finest in Arizona Athletics history, reflecting the culture he has built and the consistency of the program. He has reestablished Arizona Basketball as one of the nation’s best programs and leads a team that is unified and performing at the highest levels on the court and in the classroom. I am very pleased that we have come to an agreement extending his contract and his leadership. We look forward to continued success.”
Arizona’s players were excited for their head coach.
“I know Coach Lloyd was going to make the best decision for himself and his career,” senior guard Jaden Bradley said. “Excited that he signed back with Arizona. I know the fan base is excited as well, but I know he’s definitely focused on what’s going on here and just happy for him and his extension.”
“Super happy for Coach,” freshman forward Koa Peat said. “Tucson loves him. He loves Tucson. … He’s one of the best coaches in the country and he depends on Arizona. That’s super special for us, for sure.”
North Carolina’s pursuit of Lloyd had lingered as a storyline over the Final Four, with Lloyd declining to outrightly dismiss the Tar Heels’ interest on multiple occasions.
“I’m a simple guy. I’m kind of just one thing at a time. I’m not a multitasker,” Lloyd said Thursday at his pregame news conference when he was asked about the vacancy. “You can ask my wife. So, I’m 100% locked in on Arizona basketball right now, and I’m excited to see what this team can do. I have a real strong belief in this team and this team deserves my full attention, so that’s what I’m giving.”
After Arizona’s win over Purdue last weekend, as part of a longer answer about the significance of the Wildcats advancing to the Final Four, Lloyd said, “Arizona is going to have another good coach after me. I promise you.”
When asked about those statements Tuesday, Lloyd reiterated his point.
“It’s absolutely true,” he said. “There’s going to be another coach. This is a great program. I didn’t say when.
“People are going to speculate all they want. Guys, this team has my full focus. Nothing, nothing — I promise you, nothing — is knocking me off that path.”
Since arriving at Arizona in 2021, Lloyd has guided the Wildcats to three regular-season conference championships, two in the Pac-12 and this year’s Big 12 title. They’ve earned a No. 1 or No. 2 seed in four of their five NCAA tournament appearances, advancing to the Sweet 16 or further four times.
Arizona swept both the Big 12 regular-season and conference tournament championships this season, and advanced to the program’s first Final Four since 2001.
Lloyd is 148-35 in five seasons with Arizona. His 148 wins are the most in NCAA history for a head coach in his first five seasons.
Before taking over at Arizona, Lloyd had been at Gonzaga since 2000, serving as an assistant coach under Mark Few for 20 seasons. The Bulldogs reached the NCAA tournament in every season that Lloyd was in the program, where he established himself as the best international recruiter and one of the premier assistant coaches in college basketball.
Lloyd and top-seeded Arizona will take on Michigan in Saturday’s Final Four.
ESPN’s Myron Medcalf contributed to this report.
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Why You Should Think Before Doing This at a Singer’s Meet + Greet
Let’s face it: When you love a country artist, it’s easy to get so caught up in the moment that you do something you might regret forever.
Waiting in a meet-and-greet line for a moment with your favorite artist can give you just enough time to consider something risky — getting their autograph somewhere on your body, then heading straight to a tattoo shop to make it permanent.
The Reason You Shouldn’t Get a Country Artist’s Autograph Tattooed on You
Plain and simple — that country artist might not be a famous singer forever, or they might not make it in Nashville. Then you’re stuck with the autograph of someone who could end up being a plumber who used to make music.
Breland was my guest on Taste of Country Nights, where he told me, “A woman asked me to sign her arm, and then I saw her a year later and it was a tattoo.”
He added that there are three or four people out there with his signature permanently tattooed on their bodies.
But Breland brought up a great point: “It’s a little odd because what if I’m like, ‘Yo, what if I just decided I’m gonna stop making music, or something happened, and now you have to live with this forever? You’re really investing in me early.’”
It’s a Common Occurrence for Fans to Get Singers’ Autographs Tattooed
As someone who interviews country artists for a living, I’ve talked to just about every country artist out there, past and present. There’s a common theme: When I ask if a fan has ever gotten their signature tattooed, the answer is usually yes.
Lainey Wilson told me a fan once got a giant portrait of her face tattooed on their body — so sometimes people take it even a step further.
Just be sure this is something you really want before you do it — and consider the artist’s long-term career path, too.
13 Criminally Underrated Country Stars
We talk about ’80s ladies like Dolly and Reba. We’ll go on forever about the ’90s gals like Trisha, Faith, Shania and Martina, but what about Anne and Mary.
Anne Murray and Mary Chapin Carpenter were record setters and they’re just two of the great women found on this list of underrated country stars. Six solo men, five solo women, one duo and one country group are included. Who would you add?
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes
21 Sad Country Songs That Were Huge Crossover Hits, Ranked
Themes like heartbreak and loneliness are universally relatable, but it just so happens that the country genre is better than just about any other at conveying those emotions. That means that lots of sad country songs have found a fan base outside of country music!
Keep scrolling for a look back at 21 sad country songs that were HUGE hits in country music…and beyond!
Gallery Credit: Carena Liptak
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Tommy Lloyd staying at Arizona: Wildcats coach turns down massive offer from North Carolina
INDIANAPOLIS — Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd definitively put an end to all the North Carolina speculation on Friday.
The 51-year-old coach of the Wildcats announced at his early afternoon press conference that he will not be going to UNC and has instead agreed to terms of a new contract with the University of Arizona. Lloyd had played coy and was noncommittal multiple times earlier this week when asked about the vacant UNC job and his public connection to the opening, stirring understandable anxiety for the U of A fan base.
“I’m happy to announce I’m staying at Arizona,” Lloyd said Friday at Lucas Oil Stadium during the press conference before the Wildcats’ game on Saturday vs. Michigan in the Final Four. “We’ve been able to get some things done the past couple (of) days. Arizona basketball, you guys know what it means to me, and when I say it’s a special place, that always comes from the bottom of my heart.”
The school later announced Lloyd’s new contract.
Sources told CBS Sports that Lloyd was North Carolina’s No. 1 target upon Hubert Davis’ formal firing on March 24, and that UNC’s aggressive push combined with some major details to be worked out at Arizona led to more than a week’s worth of negotiating between Lloyd’s camps and the school. Outgoing UNC athletic director Bubba Cunningham made multiple attempts to reel in Lloyd, who’s won more games through his first five seasons (148) than any men’s college basketball coach in history.
The Tar Heels job is considered one of the very best in college basketball, and as such, UNC was prepared to offer Lloyd one of the richest contracts in the sport. Lloyd will be taking less money to remain at Arizona, though sources say his new salary will be $7.2 million annually, which would be No. 4 among public school coaches (private schools such as Duke do not disclose salary numbers). Lloyd’s pay for the 2025-26 season was $4.85 million.
“It’s an honor to even be considered for that job,” Lloyd said. “The young kid, for me the college basketball junkie watching those games at home, never would have thought something like that could have happened to somebody like me. North Carolina is a first-class organization, and I appreciate them for the way they’ve handled this.”
Tommy Lloyd’s surest shot: Arizona coach built a behemoth and bond through his lifelong Beastie Boys fandom
Matt Norlander
Lloyd is in for the long haul at Arizona thanks to a major condition of his new deal: Lloyd will no longer report to his athletic director, Desireé Reed-Francois and will instead report to Arizona president Suresh Garimella. Lloyd’s working relationship with Reed-Francois has faced serious friction in recent years due to battles of NIL and staff benefits.
Lloyd’s new deal is expected to be for five years, with a boost in salary pool for assistants and an incentive structure for his coaching staff as well.
With Lloyd operating from a position of extreme leverage, he was able to do what he wanted the whole thing: stay in Tucson. He’s brought Arizona to its first Final Four in 25 years and is two wins away from the school’s second national championship.
“Tommy Lloyd is the best coach in college basketball, and we have a strong conviction in the future of Arizona Basketball under his leadership,” Reed-Francois said in a release. “Our program’s success this season — winning championships, competing on the sport’s biggest stage and excelling academically — is a testament to the standard that he and his staff have established. He has recruited and developed student-athletes of character who make a positive impact on our team, our campus and our community. Tommy has strengthened our foundation while honoring the tradition that makes Arizona Basketball one of the premier programs in the country, and we are thrilled that he will continue to lead this program at the highest level for years to come.”
Tommy Lloyd’s career record
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021–22 | Arizona | 33–4 | 18–2 1st, Pac-12 | NCAAT Sweet 16 |
| 2022–23 | Arizona | 28–7 | 14–6 T2nd, Pac-12 | NCAAT First round |
| 2023–24 | Arizona | 27–9 | 15–5 1st, Pac-12 | NCAAT Sweet 16 |
| 2024–25 | Arizona | 24–13 | 14–6 T3rd, Big 12 | NCAAT Sweet 16 |
| 2025–26 | Arizona | 36–2 | 16–2 1st, Big 12 | currently in Final Four |
Lloyd had mostly stayed quiet on the subject of UNC before Friday, avoiding several opportunities to firmly deny his candidacy. But Thursday night, at a private party featuring Beastie Boys DJ Mix Master Mike, Lloyd took the microphone and said: “I love all you guys, I love being the coach at Arizona, and let’s find a way to kick some ass on Saturday.”
With Lloyd now out of the running at Carolina, the search will now shift to Michigan coach Dusty May, who coincidentally enough will match wits against on Saturday night in the second semifinal here at the Final Four. Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan is the other top candidate that North Carolina has on its board, sources said, though Donovan will not seriously engage with the school until the end of the Bulls’ season April 12.
What’s next for North Carolina coaching search after Tommy Lloyd inks new deal with Arizona?
Isaac Trotter
May spoke before Lloyd on Friday, continuing his general non-response to these questions: “After last year, I decided I will never, ever respond to any job speculation,” May said. “I’m never going to comment on any job that I don’t have. I think it’s well-documented how happy I am at Michigan.”
Lloyd will be the first to talk up what North Carolina offers as a job, even in the same breath that he spurned the Heels.
“North Carolina is an amazing place,” Lloyd said Friday. “I mean, it’s a one of one. It’s an honor even to be considered for that job. The young kid me, the college basketball junkie watching those games at home, never would have thought something like (being a UNC candidate) could have happened to somebody like me.
“North Carolina is a first-class organization, and I appreciate them for the way they’ve handled this. Michael Jordan — the (rumored) phone call never did happen, so I’ll put that to rest, but — we all idolized MJ. I don’t know how many hours I’ve watched that ‘Come Fly with Me’ video. …
“With that being said, though, I made a decision that my Michael Jordan is Steve Kerr. And I’m proud to be an Arizona Wildcat.”
U.S. returns Chinese drug fugitive in rare extradition, Beijing says
The United States recently repatriated a Chinese national suspected of drug trafficking, a “first” such return in recent years, Beijing’s public security ministry said on Friday.
China is the primary origin of precursor chemicals used to make fentanyl, a highly potent opioid underpinning a deadly drug epidemic in the United States.
Beijing says it is open to working with Washington on curbing the crisis, although the United States maintains an extra 10% tariff on Chinese goods it says is to limit fentanyl trade.
“This is the first drug-related fugitive repatriated by the United States to China in recent years, marking a new achievement in China-U.S. cooperation on anti-drug law enforcement,” Beijing’s Ministry of Public Security said in a statement on social media.
U.S. immigration authorities followed “clues” shared by China’s narcotics control commission to repatriate a Chinese national surnamed Han, the ministry said.
Han is suspected of “smuggling and trafficking drugs,” the ministry said without elaborating, only saying the handover took place “days ago.”
The ministry did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment.
The joint action comes ahead of a scheduled May visit to China by President Trump.
Mr. Trump has used tariffs to pressure China to crack down on sellers of precursor chemicals used to make fentanyl, but he agreed to lower fentanyl-related tariffs after meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping in October. In return, China has pledged to work with the U.S. to crack down on the drug networks.
In March, state media reported that China arrested seven people in an operation targeting traffickers of fentanyl precursors, according to the Reuters news agency.
In November, Chinese authorities, acting on intelligence from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, seized 430 kilograms of cocaine from an international shipping container, Beijing’s public security ministry said.
Lea County settles lawsuit for $3 million
WE’RE STILL WAITING TO HEAR FROM COMMISSIONERS ABOUT THIS NEXT. THIS NEW PETITION NEW ON SEVEN. THE BOARD OF LEE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS SETTLED A LAWSUIT FOR $3 MILLION AFTER A WOMAN CLAIMED HER CIVIL RIGHTS WERE VIOLATED AND SHE WAS WRONGFULLY TERMINATED. FORMER LEE COUNTY DEPUTY KARINA TELLO SAYS SHE WAS FIRED IN 2023, SHORTLY AFTER A NUDE VIDEO OF HER WAS SENT OUT BY HER WORKERS WITHOUT HER CONSENT. ONE OF THE FOUR WOMEN INVOLVED WERE CONVICTED. A CIVIL LAWSUIT WAS THEN FILED IN 2024. TALOS ATTORNEY SAYS SHE CAN FINALLY MOVE ON. SHE’S REALLY GLAD THAT IT’S OVER. SHE’S REALLY GLAD THAT SHE DOESN’T HAVE TO, LIKE, DEFEND HERSELF AND, YOU KNOW, DEAL WITH THIS. ON THE SKEPTICISM THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE, I THINK, HAD THAT, WELL, HOW COULD YOU KNOW? HOW COULD THE LAKE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE ACTUALLY DONE ALL THIS STUFF? WELL, THEY DID, I MEAN, OTHERWISE THEY WOULDN’T BE PAYING THI
Lea County settles lawsuit for $3 million after wrongful termination claim
Lea County agrees to a $3 million settlement after former deputy Karina Tello said she was fired when coworkers shared a nude video of her without her consent
The Board of Lea County Commissioners settled a lawsuit for $3 million after a woman claimed her civil rights were violated and she was wrongfully terminated.Former Lea County deputy Karina Tello said she was fired in 2023 shortly after a nude video of her was sent out by her coworkers without her consent. One of the four women involved was convicted. A civil lawsuit was filed in 2024.Tello’s attorney, Ben Gubernick, said she can finally move on.”She’s really glad that it’s over. She’s really glad that she doesn’t have to defend herself and deal with this skepticism that a lot of people, I think, had that, well, how could, how could the Lea County Sheriff’s Office actually have done all this stuff? Well, they did. I mean, otherwise they wouldn’t be paying this much money,” Gubernick said.We reached out to the county commissioners for comment, but did not get a response.
LEA COUNTY, N.M. —
The Board of Lea County Commissioners settled a lawsuit for $3 million after a woman claimed her civil rights were violated and she was wrongfully terminated.
Former Lea County deputy Karina Tello said she was fired in 2023 shortly after a nude video of her was sent out by her coworkers without her consent. One of the four women involved was convicted. A civil lawsuit was filed in 2024.
Tello’s attorney, Ben Gubernick, said she can finally move on.
“She’s really glad that it’s over. She’s really glad that she doesn’t have to defend herself and deal with this skepticism that a lot of people, I think, had that, well, how could, how could the Lea County Sheriff’s Office actually have done all this stuff? Well, they did. I mean, otherwise they wouldn’t be paying this much money,” Gubernick said.
We reached out to the county commissioners for comment, but did not get a response.
Breland Teases Big Surprise for Annual Breland & Friends Concert
Walker Hayes just signed on to play Breland & Friends next week in Nashville and it sounds like an even more popular artist is coming, too.
“We have a couple surprise guests in the genre, including an artist that I’ve tried to get all five years, and they’re finally doing it this year,” Breland tells Taste of Country.
- Breland & Friends is at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville on April 8.
- The singer recently released a song called “In My Truck” that samples 50 Cent’s “In Da Club.”
- Talking to ToC, he explained how he convinced 50 Cent and Dr. Dre to clear the song for him.
Breland & Friends 2026 Lineup
“It will be worth coming out because you would not be able to see this artist for the price that we’re charging for you to be able to see them.”
Mystery aside, the lineup is pretty stout for an event that benefits the Oasis Center. Conner Smith, Kameron Marlowe, Ashley Cooke, Dasha, Kaitlin Butts and more are going to play the lively benefit concert.
The Oasis Center is a Middle Tennessee organization that works to help young people and teenagers in crisis. This could be homelessness, substance abuse or mental health problems. Breland says he feels blessed that so many of his friends came together for the cause.
“(I’m) calling in the favors because you know what, it’s a charitable event, man,” he tells Evan Paul during a recent Taste of Country Nights On Demand interview. “I don’t make a dime off of it, and I wouldn’t want to.”
Hayes’ participation in 2026 brings two longtime friends back together. Breland says the two men have a lot in common, including a love of country music that veers left of center.
“I played some shows with Walker back in summer of ’23, and him and his family were super gracious to us to bring us out,” the “My Truck” hitmaker recalls. “And he’s just a cool guy, man. We’ve written some music together too, so hopefully we can get some music out.”
That collaboration would add to a long list of musical partners for the singer. Keith Urban, Shaboozey, Shania Twain and Dierks Bentley (“Beers On Me”) are a few of his other famous duet partners.
If you listen to the full interview you’ll begin to understand why he’s so popular.
See the Most Played Country Song from the Year You Were Born
Who had the most played country song during the year you were born? This list is a fascinating time capsule of prevalent trends from every decade in American history. Scroll through to find your birth year and then click to listen. Some of these songs have been lost through the years, many of them for good reason!
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes