INDIANAPOLIS – *exhales deeply* Regardless of what happens on the court on Saturday night at Lucas Oil Stadium, it feels like the Arizona Wildcats are going to leave Indianapolis as winners. Because after a weeks of rumors, speculations, and frankly, a lot more stress than Wildcat fans deserved ahead of the program’s first Final Four in 25 years, the man who finally led the UA back to the promise land is staying put. On Friday, head coach Tommy Lloyd officially shut down the rumors about the North Carolina head coaching vacancy and announced he signed a contract extension with Arizona.
It was a whirlwind of emotion in the press conference on Friday when Lloyd made the announcement. I imagine like Wildcat Nation, was immediately met with a rush of excitement, simultaneously balanced by an equally strong sense of relief. Because this week was NEVER supposed to be about anyone or any program other than the Arizona Wildcats.
After 25 years of pain and heartbreak, this weekend is a celebration of all the incredible players that have come and gone over the past quarter century, from Derrick Williams, to T.J. McConnell, to Pelle Larsson, who forever etched their names into the hearts and minds of Arizona fans. This weekend is a celebration of the current squad and players like Jaden Bradley and Tobe Awaka, who may not have began their careers in Tucson, but will forever be remember as legends of the program. And, perhaps most importantly, this weekend is a celebration of the life and legacy of Lute Olson, who, as Tommy Lloyd said in San Jose, is a happy man “looking down on us right now.”
“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,” said Tommy Lloyd after making his announcement. “I didn’t want to make this entire Final Four about that because I’m just a small part of something much bigger.”
I spoke with Arizona Athletic Director Desiree Reed-Francois after Lloyd shared the news. We didn’t talk dollars and cents or terms of the agreement, but simply the emotions of the process, and more importantly, of the weekend ahead. I congratulated her on working out a new deal and told her the same thing I am telling you all now; we can relax, smile, and enjoy what hopefully is the best weekend in the last quarter century.
We’ve built a relationship during her tenure at Arizona, so she understands my connection to the Pride of Arizona and how my time in the Pep Band has led me on my journey with AZ Band Cat Sports. So when she told me, “I know how much this means and special this is for you,” it was hard not for me to get emotional. I thanked her, we embraced, and then with tears streaming down my face as the Arizona Wildcats ran onto the court, took in the remarkable scene at Lucas Oil Stadium. For the record, I fully expect those emotions to be tenfold when Arizona runs out on Saturday night.
It’s no secret that the relationship between the two has become contentious in recent weeks, but when Wildcat Nation needed it most, Tommy and Desiree put pen to paper. Because at the end of the day, Tucson is home and Tommy Lloyd is Tucson.
“We love it there…The roots are getting pretty deep. You can grow roots in the desert, trust me.”
After some time processing the flurry of emotions over the past 24 hours, my hope and wish for Wildcat Nation is that everyone, from the toddler chanting “UofA” in his crib, to folks like Justin Kokoskie and Grant Weitman, to every single person who has worn the Block A with pride or clapped their hands and sang Bear Down with the Pride of Arizona enjoys a truly special, and perhaps even once in a lifetime, weekend in Indy!
“I made a decision that my Michael Jordan is Steve Kerr, and I’m proud to be an Arizona Wildcat.” – Tommy Lloyd