University of Arizona president Suresh Garimella gains exclusive authority over men's basketball coach Tommy Lloyd's contract, including performance evaluations and budget oversight. This change shifts responsibilities from athletic director Desireé Reed-Francois to Garimella.
Key points
Suresh Garimella gains exclusive authority over Tommy Lloyd's contract
Garimella will evaluate Lloyd's job performance and compensation
The previous contract had Lloyd reporting to the athletic director
Collaboration with athletic director and CFO is part of the new oversight
Mentioned in this story
Suresh GarimellaTommy LloydUniversity of ArizonaDesireé Reed-Francois
Arizona basketball president takes oversight of Tommy Lloyd contract
University of Arizona president Suresh Garimella will have "exclusive authority" over performance and financial matters related to men's basketball coach Tommy Lloyd, rather than athletic director Desireé Reed-Francois, according to the coach's newly approved contract.
The contract, obtained by the Star on Wednesday via a public records request, said Garimella now will directly evaluate Lloyd's job performance, compensation, operating budget and NIL (roster) budget — and will collaborate with Reed-Francois and UA CFO John Arnold.
Lloyd's previous contract, agreed to in April 2025, said Lloyd "will report directly" to the UA's athletic director, "with additional oversight by the president of the university."
Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd looks towards his players during the first half of the game against the Iowa State Cyclones at McKale Memorial Center on March 2, 2026.
Head coach Tommy Lloyd of the Arizona Wildcats celebrates winning the Big 12 regular-season title following a game against the Iowa State Cyclones at McKale Center on March 2, 2026, in Tucson.
Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd react during the first half of the game against the Kansas Jayhawks at McKale Memorial Center in Tucson, on Feb. 28, 2026.
Q&A
What changes were made to Tommy Lloyd's contract at Arizona?
Tommy Lloyd's contract now places exclusive oversight of his performance and financial matters under University president Suresh Garimella.
Who is responsible for evaluating Tommy Lloyd's job performance?
University president Suresh Garimella will directly evaluate Tommy Lloyd's job performance as per the new contract.
What was the previous oversight structure for Tommy Lloyd's contract?
Previously, Tommy Lloyd reported directly to the athletic director, with some oversight from the university president.
What financial matters will Suresh Garimella oversee in Tommy Lloyd's contract?
Garimella will oversee Lloyd's compensation, operating budget, and NIL budget as part of the new contract terms.
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Head coach Tommy Lloyd talks to Koa Peat #10 of the Arizona Wildcats during the first half against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at McKale Center at ALKEME Arena on Feb. 14, 2026, in Tucson.
Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd yells out to players during the first half of the game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at McKale Memorial Center in Tucson, on Feb. 14, 2026.
Feb 4, 2023; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd clams down Arizona Wildcats center Oumar Ballo (11) on the bench in the first half at McKale Center. Mandatory Credit: Zachary BonDurant-USA TODAY Sports
Head coach Tommy Lloyd of the Arizona Wildcats looks on during the second half of the NCAAB game against the Iowa State Cyclones at McKale Center on Jan. 27, 2025, in Tucson, Arizona. The Wildcats defeated the Cyclones 86-75 in overtime.
Dec 31, 2022; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd reacts to a call made against the Wildcats as they play the Arizona State Sun Devils at Desert Financial Arena on Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022. Mandatory Credit: Alex Gould/The Republic
TUCSON, ARIZONA - DECEMBER 22: Head coach Tommy Lloyd of the Arizona Wildcats reacts during the first half of the NCAAB game against the Morgan State Bearsat McKale Center on December 22, 2022 in Tucson, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd talks to the team during a timeout during the first half for the Big 12 Conference Tournament Championship game at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City on March 15, 2025.
Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd talks to his team during a timeout during the second half against the West Virginia Mountaineers at WVU Coliseum in Morgantown, West Virginia on Jan. 7, 2025.
Head coach Tommy Lloyd of the Arizona Wildcats watches the action during the second half against the Duke Blue Devils at McKale Center on Nov. 22, 2024 in Tucson.
Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd reacts during the second half in the second round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament against the Dayton Flyers at Vivint Smart Home Arena-Delta Center in Salt Lake City on March 23, 2024.
Nov 5, 2019; Spokane, WA, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs assistant coach Tommy Lloyd talk with Gonzaga Bulldogs center Oumar Ballo (21) before a basketball game against the Alabama State Hornets at McCarthey Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 27, 2020; Spokane, Washington, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs assistant coach Tommy Lloyd looks on before a game against the San Diego Toreros at McCarthey Athletic Center. The Bulldogs won 94-59. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 8, 2020; Moraga, California, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs assistant coach Tommy Lloyd talks to a referee during the second half against the Saint Mary's Gaels at McKeon Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 1, 2020; San Francisco, California, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs assistant coach Tommy Lloyd talks to forward Filip Petrusev (3) during the second half against the San Francisco Dons at War Memorial at the Sobrato Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 8, 2020; Moraga, California, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs head coach Mark Few and assistant coach Tommy Lloyd look on during the first half against the Saint Mary's Gaels at McKeon Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 9, 2020; San Diego, California, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs assistant coach Tommy Lloyd watches from the bench during the second half against the Gonzaga Bulldogs at Jenny Craig Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 9, 2020; San Diego, California, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs assistant coach Tommy Lloyd reacts from the bench during the second half against the Gonzaga Bulldogs at Jenny Craig Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 15, 2014; Spokane, WA, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs assistant coach Tommy Lloyd walks off the court after a game against the Texas Southern Tigers at McCarthey Athletic Center. Bulldogs won 94-54. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports
January 28, 2010; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs assistant coach Tommy Lloyd watches from the bench during the first half against the Santa Clara Broncos at the Leavey Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
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Profile: Tommy Lloyd
Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd looks towards his players during the first half of the game against the Iowa State Cyclones at McKale Memorial Center on March 2, 2026.
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Profile: Tommy Lloyd
Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd looks towards his players during the first half of the game against the Iowa State Cyclones at McKale Memorial Center on March 2, 2026.
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Profile: Tommy Lloyd
Head coach Tommy Lloyd of the Arizona Wildcats celebrates winning the Big 12 regular-season title following a game against the Iowa State Cyclones at McKale Center on March 2, 2026, in Tucson.
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Profile: Tommy Lloyd
Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd react during the first half of the game against the Kansas Jayhawks at McKale Memorial Center in Tucson, on Feb. 28, 2026.
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Profile: Tommy Lloyd
Head coach Tommy Lloyd talks to Koa Peat #10 of the Arizona Wildcats during the first half against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at McKale Center at ALKEME Arena on Feb. 14, 2026, in Tucson.
5 / 22
Profile: Tommy Lloyd
Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd yells out to players during the first half of the game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at McKale Memorial Center in Tucson, on Feb. 14, 2026.
6 / 22
Profile: Tommy Lloyd
Feb 4, 2023; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd clams down Arizona Wildcats center Oumar Ballo (11) on the bench in the first half at McKale Center. Mandatory Credit: Zachary BonDurant-USA TODAY Sports
7 / 22
Profile: Tommy Lloyd
Head coach Tommy Lloyd of the Arizona Wildcats looks on during the second half of the NCAAB game against the Iowa State Cyclones at McKale Center on Jan. 27, 2025, in Tucson, Arizona. The Wildcats defeated the Cyclones 86-75 in overtime.
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Profile: Tommy Lloyd
Dec 31, 2022; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd reacts to a call made against the Wildcats as they play the Arizona State Sun Devils at Desert Financial Arena on Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022. Mandatory Credit: Alex Gould/The Republic
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Profile: Tommy Lloyd
TUCSON, ARIZONA - DECEMBER 22: Head coach Tommy Lloyd of the Arizona Wildcats reacts during the first half of the NCAAB game against the Morgan State Bearsat McKale Center on December 22, 2022 in Tucson, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
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Profile: Tommy Lloyd
Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd talks to the team during a timeout during the first half for the Big 12 Conference Tournament Championship game at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City on March 15, 2025.
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Profile: Tommy Lloyd
Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd talks to his team during a timeout during the second half against the West Virginia Mountaineers at WVU Coliseum in Morgantown, West Virginia on Jan. 7, 2025.
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Profile: Tommy Lloyd
Head coach Tommy Lloyd of the Arizona Wildcats watches the action during the second half against the Duke Blue Devils at McKale Center on Nov. 22, 2024 in Tucson.
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Profile: Tommy Lloyd
Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd reacts during the second half in the second round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament against the Dayton Flyers at Vivint Smart Home Arena-Delta Center in Salt Lake City on March 23, 2024.
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Profile: Tommy Lloyd
Nov 5, 2019; Spokane, WA, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs assistant coach Tommy Lloyd talk with Gonzaga Bulldogs center Oumar Ballo (21) before a basketball game against the Alabama State Hornets at McCarthey Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports
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Profile: Tommy Lloyd
Feb 27, 2020; Spokane, Washington, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs assistant coach Tommy Lloyd looks on before a game against the San Diego Toreros at McCarthey Athletic Center. The Bulldogs won 94-59. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports
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Profile: Tommy Lloyd
Feb 8, 2020; Moraga, California, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs assistant coach Tommy Lloyd talks to a referee during the second half against the Saint Mary's Gaels at McKeon Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
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Profile: Tommy Lloyd
Feb 1, 2020; San Francisco, California, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs assistant coach Tommy Lloyd talks to forward Filip Petrusev (3) during the second half against the San Francisco Dons at War Memorial at the Sobrato Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
18 / 22
Profile: Tommy Lloyd
Feb 8, 2020; Moraga, California, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs head coach Mark Few and assistant coach Tommy Lloyd look on during the first half against the Saint Mary's Gaels at McKeon Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
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Profile: Tommy Lloyd
Jan 9, 2020; San Diego, California, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs assistant coach Tommy Lloyd watches from the bench during the second half against the Gonzaga Bulldogs at Jenny Craig Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
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Profile: Tommy Lloyd
Jan 9, 2020; San Diego, California, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs assistant coach Tommy Lloyd reacts from the bench during the second half against the Gonzaga Bulldogs at Jenny Craig Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
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Profile: Tommy Lloyd
Dec 15, 2014; Spokane, WA, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs assistant coach Tommy Lloyd walks off the court after a game against the Texas Southern Tigers at McCarthey Athletic Center. Bulldogs won 94-54. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports
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Profile: Tommy Lloyd
January 28, 2010; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs assistant coach Tommy Lloyd watches from the bench during the first half against the Santa Clara Broncos at the Leavey Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Lloyd's new contract states that UA cannot require Lloyd to report directly to anyone other than the athletic director or the AD's successor, and UA spokesman Mitch Zak said Lloyd would continue to report to Reed-Francois. But the contract's language, and other indications to the Star, suggest that Lloyd will report to Garimella over matters of job performance, compensation, budget and NIL.
Lloyd's five-year contract, which is scheduled to pay him $37.5 million through 2030-31, was approved by the Arizona Board of Regents on April 16. However, UA's proposal to the Regents for contract approval did not include the language regarding Garimella's oversight, a nuanced structure unusual in college athletics.
Specifically, section 1.1 of Lloyd's new contract says Garimella will oversee "the budget for compensation for the university or university's approved 3rd party entity(ies) to student-athletes related to their Name, Image and Likeness."
That NIL language indicates Garimella will oversee both the university-paid "revenue-sharing" money it will give to players and the outside-paid NIL money that UA can now raise funds for. Together, the money represents a roster budget, which was reportedly about $10 million for UA men's basketball in 2025-26.
While Lloyd has declined to comment on the new arrangement, issues over resources devoted to men's basketball were believed to be central to negotiations for a new contract during the NCAA Tournament, when Lloyd held the leverage of a Final Four appearance and interest from North Carolina in its head-coaching vacancy.
Because of the House settlement in June 2025, schools can pay their athletes a maximum of $20.5 million across all sports. UA will not release the amount it gave men's basketball.
In addition, schools are now allowed to raise NIL funds from outside sources for additional athlete compensation, which the new contract indicates Lloyd and Garimella will work on together.
The contract indicates that Reed-Francois will be involved in achieving the budgetary goals of UA men's basketball. In a clause entitled "NIL/Revenue-Sharing and Budget Commitment," UA said all parties agreed that UA men's basketball would be supported so it is competitive nationally.
"Specifically, university and coach acknowledge that university intends to remain competitive within the upper end of the Big 12 conference and with other similarly situated A4 (Big 12, Big 10, SEC, and ACC) public institutions," the contract states. "Each contract year, university agrees to work together with coach to establish a budget for university NIL, which will be subject to university approval no later than February 15 of the immediately preceding contract year (i.e., February 15, 2027, for contract Year Two and so on).
"Each university NIL budget shall include amounts regarding revenue-share and other related monetary amounts not counting toward the university’s revenue-share cap. Each contract year, the chief financial officer and athletic director will also work together with coach and other program personnel to establish an operational budget (that includes a list capital projects, if applicable), which will be included in the university’s All Funds budget process and subject to university approval no later than May 15 of the immediately preceding fiscal year (i.e., May 15, 2027, for fiscal year 2028, and so on)."
The contract also said that no later than May 1 every year, its CFO, special advisor for operations and AD will consult with Lloyd on "recommendations for facilities improvements, including the launch of a facility improvement fundraising plan."
All other terms in Lloyd's contract were as submitted to the Regents last week, including a $2.9 million salary pool for his assistants and other staff, as well as the ability to offer three-year contracts to four assistants. Those contracts include salary protection in the event that Lloyd is fired before their terms end.
