Former Tar Heel claims Tommy Lloyd eyed UNC a few years ago

[ASFN Admin]

The North Carolina head coaching search has been the talk of the college basketball world outside of March Madness.

For now, the top choice for the Tar Heels appears to be Tommy Lloyd of Arizona. He has been highly successful, posting a 148-35 record, reaching the Sweet 16 in four of his five seasons and leading the Wildcats to their first Final Four since 2001 after a 95-62 win over Tennessee in the Elite Eight on Saturday.

Another name that has been circulating is Billy Donovan of the Chicago Bulls. Before he moved to the NBA as head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Donovan was one of college basketball’s top coaches. He led Florida to five Final Fours and three national title games, winning two championships.

On the "Tar Heel 247 Basketball" podcast, former North Carolina standout John Henson welcomed his former UNC teammate Justin Watts to discuss the latest on the coaching search.

Interesting nugget on #UNC's coaching search...

"What I've heard is Tommy Lloyd wanted the UNC job before he went to Arizona."

Mutual interest? Tensions with AD? Is Lloyd to Carolina a possibility regardless of where Arizona finishes in NCAAT? https://t.co/1pitYLb2pV

— Grant Hughes (@GrantHughesNC) March 30, 2026

Watts highlighted two key points about the leading candidates.

Tommy Lloyd wanted the UNC job in 2021​

You must be registered for see images

According to Watts, Lloyd, then an assistant at Gonzaga, was interested in the North Carolina job when it came open in 2021. Ultimately, UNC followed Roy Williams’ wishes, and the job went to Hubert Davis instead of going through a national search. Lloyd ended up at Arizona, and the results are clear.

Watts also drew a parallel to when Williams was the head coach at Kansas and had to decide whether to take the offer from his alma mater.

Tommy Lloyd wanted the job before he went to Arizona. If Arizona wins, I think it’s out of the question. If they lose, it’s kind of like how we got Roy. Kansas was in the Final Four, they were interviewing him about it, and it was lingering over his head. Then they lost, and he ended up coming to Carolina.

Roy had a lot more ties than Tommy Lloyd, other than Lloyd wanting the job before he went to Arizona. I would like to have Tommy Lloyd out of all the options we know about. I like how he has developed that Arizona program. They’ve been pretty consistent since he’s been there.

While this is an interesting development, nothing has been confirmed. The comparison between Williams leaving Kansas for UNC and Lloyd’s situation only goes so far. Williams is an Asheville native, a North Carolina alumnus and a longtime former assistant under Dean Smith. It should also be noted that he turned down the UNC job in 2000 before finally accepting it in 2003. Because of his ties to the school, his move back to Chapel Hill was more of a duty than a choice.

For Lloyd, it would be a choice. If it took a lot to bring Williams back to Chapel Hill, it will take even more to convince Lloyd to leave Arizona.

Billy Donovan is the most realistic choice​

You must be registered for see images attach

If Lloyd stays at Arizona, Donovan moves to the forefront. According to Watts, he may be the most realistic option, and even if the Tar Heels “settle” for him, it would still be a major victory.

I think Billy Donovan, on the other hand, is probably the more realistic option between the two. He doesn’t have a buyout, the Bulls aren’t that great, and it’s not like he’s winning championships at the NBA level. He has done that at the NCAA level. He may want to come back in a Bill Belichick-type move.

But I really think the hire will be somebody we’re not even talking about. That’s just my perspective. I don’t think we’re going to get either of them, but I think a ceiling of Tommy Lloyd and a floor of Billy Donovan is a good spot to be in.

If Lloyd stays at Arizona but UNC lands Donovan, it would still be a seismic move. Outside of Dan Hurley at UConn and Bill Self at Kansas, no other active head coach would have multiple national titles. Donovan is also an elite recruiter who has sent numerous players to the NBA, where many enjoyed long careers.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC basketball: Tommy Lloyd had previous interest in head coach job

Continue reading...