Tommy Lloyd Story ESPN

[Zagdawg]

Gonzaga's Tommy Lloyd helped construct -- and is heir to the throne of -- a remarkable hoops dynasty

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/28778780/gonzaga-tommy-lloyd-helped-construct-heir-throne-remarkable-hoops-dynasty

[strikenowhere]

Gonzaga's Tommy Lloyd helped construct -- and is heir to the throne of -- a remarkable hoops dynasty

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba...-hoops-dynasty

AMONG THE awards in Few's office is his National Coach of the Year trophy. And one of the names engraved on the trophy is former North Carolina coach Bill Guthridge, who was in charge of the Tar Heels for three seasons after Dean Smith retired. When you combine his years as an assistant coach and head coach, Guthridge spent 33 seasons in Chapel Hill.

Lloyd could end up as the West Coast Bill Guthridge -- and that's fine with him.

"I'll look at that as an honor," Lloyd said. "Whatever, he's not going to be in the Hall of Fame. He's not gonna be this, he's not gonna be that. But I'll guarantee if you go back, he had a huge impact on that program, on the coaches and on the players, and that's pretty awesome. If that's what I end up being labeled as, I'm really cool with that."

In other words, Lloyd isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

That makes me feel a lot better about the continuity of the program AND that Gonzaga will keep a valuable foreign recruiting pipeline

[Reborn]

Thanks, Zagdawg for the link. It's a great read for sure. It's always nice to learn more about our staff, and Tommy, as we all know, will be the next Gonzaga head coach once Few retires. It's a long article and worth the time to read it. I know him a lot better now, and that feels good. My takeaway, Tommy has worked really hard to be in the place where he is. I think that that kind of hard work is what is kind of the trademark of Gonzaga basketball.

[ZagsObserver]

Great assistant coach. He has done a lot for the program.

I’m far more confident in his abilities as an assistant as compared to a head coach. It’s a great match today. Let’s hope it stays this way for many years to come.

[TacomaZAG]

Great read.............Thanks ZDawg. Loved the "John Stockton effect" reference, where fans just let the players (both former and current) and staff do their thing and be a regular person. I remember seeing Mike Hart at the local Safeway the day after a game, just a college kid buying some stuff to eat, or whatever. Said "good game last night" as we passed, he replied "thanks" and we both went on with our lives. That's one of the things I love about the ZAG/Spokane relationship.

The school is lucky to have Tommy, and lucky to have him locked up as the Coach in waiting.

Go ZAGS

[RenoZag]

If he ever made a checklist for his dream job, Gonzaga would tick every box. Perhaps the only thing missing is a national championship -- but, with the Bulldogs heading toward their third 1-seed in four years, that might not be too far off.

"I'm fulfilled," Lloyd said. "I love being at a place that's bigger than any of us on the coaching staff. We're all part of something bigger than ourselves. And I think that's something pretty special."

...

[LongIslandZagFan]

Great article and a great person. I know I didn't follow Spokane protocol when I saw him at J&D's when I was back in September... but all I said to him was "I just wanted to say thank you" and shook his hand before I left.

[scrooner]

I recognize a lot of faces from that Whitman basketball photo. He was a freshman there while I was a senior.

[23dpg]

Really good article.

What a 20 year ride!

[Larryzag]

Maybe the best article I have ever read about GU. It shows the culture of the school and the program. Other teams that want to replicate what GU has done need to start there.

[SWZag]

I recognize a lot of faces from that Whitman basketball photo. He was a freshman there while I was a senior.

He was a freshman at Walla Walla CC. He played two years there, then a year at Colorado State - Pueblo, before finishing up at Whitman. Still holds the record of 52 points in a game at WWCC. After playing at Kelso, he followed his high school coach, Jeff Reinland, who still coaches at WWCC.

[CDC84]

I know people don't want to hear this, but Tommy is going to be the next head coach sooner than many people think. Few is not going to be like Jim Boeheim, coaching into his 70's. He's said so many times. He has a ton of interests outside of basketball, and he wants to pursue them while his body, mind and spirit are in good shape. I think that's one of the reasons why the move was made to ensure that Tommy would be the next head man. That and the fact that they don't want to lose him while he is an assistant.

As good as this article is, it's my hope - especially if the 2021 class goes well - that we will start seeing articles about how Gonzaga's recruiting within the United States has escalated. With the subregional being in Spokane, GU has a great chance of going to six straight sweet 16's or better. That's crazy to think about. And I believe there is a subregional in Seattle next season (San Jose and Seattle switched due to the upgrade to Key Arena. SJ was originally supposed to be a site in 2021).

[krozman]

I know people don't want to hear this, but Tommy is going to be the next head coach sooner than many people think. Few is not going to be like Jim Boeheim, coaching into his 70's. He's said so many times. He has a ton of interests outside of basketball, and he wants to pursue them while his body, mind and spirit are in good shape. I think that's one of the reasons why the move was made to ensure that Tommy would be the next head man. That and the fact that they don't want to lose him while he is an assistant.

As good as this article is, it's my hope - especially if the 2021 class goes well - that we will start seeing articles about how Gonzaga's recruiting within the United States has escalated. With the subregional being in Spokane, GU has a great chance of going to six straight sweet 16's or better. That's crazy to think about. And I believe there is a subregional in Seattle next season (San Jose and Seattle switched due to the upgrade to Key Arena. SJ was originally supposed to be a site in 2021).

I think that's the magical question as soon as he wins a national championship, but not before IMO.

[bdmiller7]

I think that's the magical question as soon as he wins a national championship, but not before IMO.

Few will turn 60 half way through the 22/23 season. Not sure how old his youngest is, but maybe he sticks until they graduate, then he will be free to roam the earth.

[strikenowhere]

I know people don't want to hear this, but Tommy is going to be the next head coach sooner than many people think. Few is not going to be like Jim Boeheim, coaching into his 70's. He's said so many times. He has a ton of interests outside of basketball, and he wants to pursue them while his body, mind and spirit are in good shape. I think that's one of the reasons why the move was made to ensure that Tommy would be the next head man. That and the fact that they don't want to lose him while he is an assistant.

As good as this article is, it's my hope - especially if the 2021 class goes well - that we will start seeing articles about how Gonzaga's recruiting within the United States has escalated. With the subregional being in Spokane, GU has a great chance of going to six straight sweet 16's or better. That's crazy to think about. And I believe there is a subregional in Seattle next season (San Jose and Seattle switched due to the upgrade to Key Arena. SJ was originally supposed to be a site in 2021).

How smooth do you think the transition would be when it comes to pass? I'd imagine that recruiting wouldn't be affected too bad, specifically the international recruits, due to Lloyd being the head recruiter to begin with.