SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Within the span of a few hours, two of college basketball’s best coaches would stand in the same position on the court at Viejas Arena. St. John’s University’s Rick Pitino and the University of Arizona’s Tommy Lloyd.
On the floor, the two coaches are distinctly different. Pitino behaves like he’s at a horse race – loud, constantly making adjustments and expressive. Lloyd resembles a tennis fan – generally reserved with a few ovations or pleas for support from the crowd.
Where do the coaches resemble each other? They win.
Pitino has had an illustrious career that has spanned five decades and included stops at some of the most storied college and professional teams in the country. His methods have transcended different eras of players and he once again has a team firmly in the mix in the NCAA tournament. Pitino’s teams have appeared in seven Final Fours and he’s been a national champion head coach twice.
Everything about Rick Pitino is “old school.” He is one of the few coaches still donning a tailored suit and tie and he fundamentally rejects the new wave of so-called players’ coaches. Pitino is abrasive, loud and vulgar. Where some coaches are accused of coddling their players, Pitino rocks the crib and tests its stability.
If New York City is the city that never sleeps, Rick Pitino’s Red Storm are the basketball instantiation of their home city. SJU’s men’s basketball team plays off both the energy of its hometown and their head coach – who himself is from New York.
On Sunday afternoon, the Red Storm contested every pass and pressed the length of the court relentlessly.
“We’re a very good defensive team,” Pitino said. “We win with our defense, and we’re learning how valuable the 3-point line is now.”
The Red Storm forced 16 turnovers and allowed just 65 points en route to a dramatic 67-65 victory over higher-seeded University of Kansas Jayhawks. The victory punched their ticket to the East Region semifinal in Washington, D.C., where they will meet the University of Duke Blue Devils.
SJU head coach Rick Pitino never deviated from his hard-nosed in-your-face coaching style. As he’s done for decades, Pitino paced the sidelines, made substitutions with fury and tirelessly shouted commands.
The Wildcats head coach has more of a west coast flair. His coaching style is subtle and his demeanor is cool. Emotionally, if not stoic, he is reserved.
Lloyd is from Washington state and spent roughly 20 years with Gonzaga as an assistant. After earning the reputation of being a steady hand and international recruiting asset, Lloyd was named the head coach of Arizona in 2021.
In just Tommy Lloyd’s fifth season, he has his team in the Sweet 16 for the fourth time. This year, Arizona is a top seed and both the regular season and Big-12 tournament champion. Most impressively, Lloyd now holds the record for most college wins in a coach’s first five seasons, with 146.
Like the Red Storm, the Wildcats play tenacious defense and operate with intensity and urgency.
But Lloyd derives this kind of performance with his own methods.
“What’s really cool about coaching and basketball is there’s so many different styles,” Tommy Lloyd said. “And I think the most important thing is just to be your authentic self.”
Resembling Lloyd, Arizona plays a confident yet relaxed brand of basketball. The Wildcats have appeared assured in every movement this season and their confidence is appropriate. Against one of the toughest schedules in the country, UA has lost just twice this season.
It’s hard to imagine a more clear cut version of a “new school” coach than Tommy Lloyd. Unlike Pitino, Lloyd can be seen (almost exclusively) in UA-branded quarter-zip. The larger point within the scope of modern coaches is they are no longer the headliner.
In Tucson, Arizona players such as Jaden Bradley, Brayden Burries and Koa Peat are the best known within the program. Tommy Lloyd – perhaps intentionally – has taken a back seat to his star players.
That is not the case in New York. After advancing to the Sweet 16, Pitino was cracking jokes postgame and displaying the charisma and demeanor of a campaigning politician. Television cameras are drawn to his Armani suits, Rolex watches and visceral reactions. For SJU, Pitino is the star of the show.
Another striking contrast between the two coaches…the age of their roster. Lloyd has no issue entrusting his season with countless Freshman. Three of Arizona’s five starters are freshmen, including standout guard Brayden Burries, whose role has only grown as the season has progressed.
Pitino prefers to trust experienced players in March. Four of the Red Storm’s five starters are seniors. The only exception is Dylan Darling who is a Junior.
Lastly, it’s intriguing to consider a deeper psychological angle to the contrasting styles of Rick Pitino and Tommy Lloyd. Pitino primarily uses fear as a motivator whereas Lloyd resorts to affirmation and positivity.
Villanova University head coach Kevin Willard used to be an assistant under Pitino. Earlier this season he spoke about the challenges that came with working for the current SJU boss.
“It’s the most miserable experience in life,” Willard said. “You fear for your life every day.”
Conversely, Tommy Lloyd relies on support and positivity throughout the game. His tendency is to applaud softly and encourage his players when the team struggles.
On Sunday night against Utah State University, UA had been in a dominant position for most of the game, but suddenly the team’s position had weakened. Arizona had led at one point by 18 points. With roughly five minutes to play, the Wildcats’ lead was four.
Lloyd remained patient and reserved. His team pulled through and delivered a 78-66 victory.
“I don’t want to be a guy that’s constantly yelling and screaming and nagging, it’s just not kind of who I am,” Tommy Lloyd said. “I want to coach to my personality because I think these players, they know truth.”
The spotlight may be cascading toward Tommy Lloyd as his team prepares for San Jose. With a Sweet 16 matchup against another “old school” coach in John Calipari, Lloyd is looking to lead UA to the Elite 8 for the first time as head coach. Lloyd may want the attention on his players, but with the height of this season’s expectations, a fourth Sweet 16 exit may draw the ire of some following the team.
Will Tommy Lloyd be vindicated in his convictions and approach this March? Perhaps this philosophical debate will become more applied should St. John’s meet Arizona in Indianapolis in the Final Four.
For now Tommy Lloyd is keeping his approach simple.
“I think for me to have the best long-term success with them is to be honest with them, have relationships and be myself,” Lloyd remarked. “It’s not much more complicated than that.”
If there’s one thing we know about March, it’s that things tend to get complicated. Time will tell.
Arizona faces off with the University of Arkansas Razorbacks on Thursday at 6:45 PT inside the SAP Center at San Jose. Lloyd will shake hands with three-time Naismith College Coach of the Year and National Champion John Calipari when the two meet at center court before the start of the West Region semifinal.
David is the Sports Director at KAMP Student Radio. To hear his full thoughts and analysis you can listen to his show, The Rundown, Mondays at 5 pm and Fridays at 10 am on KAMP Student Radio or YouTube.