Arizona's Tommy Lloyd Wins 2026 Naismith Men's College Coach of the Year Award

Arizona's first trip to the men's Final Four since 2001 helped Tommy Lloyd earn the Naismith Men's College Basketball Coach of the Year Award.

Lloyd beat out Duke's Jon Scheyer, Nebraska's Fred Hoiberg and Michigan's Dusty May for the honor.

The timing of the news is a bit unfortunate as the Wildcats are only one day removed from an 18-point loss to Michigan in the national semifinals. They fell behind early and never recovered, with the Wolverines leading by 30 at one point.

Arizona may have ended the year on a sour note, but there's plenty to celebrate from 2025-26 when the sting of Saturday's defeat subsides.

The team's 36 wins were its most in a single season. Lloyd's squad occupied the No. 1 spot in the Associated Press Top 25 poll for nine straight weeks between December and February. The Final Four drought is officially over.

That last thing is particularly important.

Sean Miller built some talented squads during his 12 years in Tucson. Arizona's failure to advance past the Elite Eight became part of its identity, though. The label carried on after Lloyd took over in 2021.

The skeptics probably resurfaced after the Michigan game, but simply punching a ticket to the Final Four was a major achievement.

Lloyd isn't going anywhere, either. He and Arizona agreed to a contract extension through 2031 which will reportedly put him among the five highest-paid coaches in men's basketball.

Some turnover is likely coming to the roster. Brayden Burries and Koa Peat are projected lottery picks in the 2026 NBA mock draft from Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman. He also listed Motiejus Krivas (No. 29) and Jaden Bradley (No. 51), while sixth man Anthony Dell'Orso is graduating.

Lloyd has signed 4-star guard Cameron Holmes and secured a commitment from 5-star recruit Caleb Holt. He's bound to hit the transfer portal hard, too, so the Wildcats shouldn't be headed for a major decline in 2026-27.