On Wednesday night, Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd showed his emotional side while discussing former Utah head coach Craig Smith, who was fired earlier this week. The moment came ahead of Arizona’s game against the Utes at McKale Center, where Smith’s son Landon, Utah’s Director of Operations, and Brady, a walk-on, were still present with the team despite their father’s dismissal.
Lloyd, clearly moved by the situation, spoke passionately about Smith’s impact on college basketball and the toll coaching changes take on families.
“We all have families. We all have kids,” Lloyd said. “I talked to Craig [Smith] today, nothing but class. And for his boys to show up today with their teammates…” Tommy got choked up, paused, and continued, “It says something. This stuff is hard, what we go through, even when it’s going good, it’s hard.”
WATCH: Tommy Lloyd gets emotional when talking about Brady and Landon Smith, sons of former Utah Head Coach Craig Smith.
Smith was fired Monday. Landon (Director of Operations) and Brady (Walk-on) were with the team in McKale tonight. pic.twitter.com/SEoiUIiwKH
— Jenna Fink (@jennamfink) February 27, 2025
Arizona blows out Utah on Wednesday night after Craig Smith was fired
Smith’s firing came on Monday after Utah suffered a 76-72 loss to UCF, dropping the team’s record to 15-12 overall and 7-9 in Big 12 play. The move was unexpected given Utah’s recent success, including wins over ranked Kansas and Kansas State. However, Utah athletic director Mark Harlan made it clear that the program had loftier goals.
“We have greater aspirations for our men’s basketball program, both within the Big 12 Conference and nationally, and our expectation is to regularly compete in the NCAA Tournament,” Harlan said in a statement.
Smith finished his Utah tenure with a 65-62 record over four seasons. Assistant coach Josh Eilert has taken over as interim head coach for the remainder of the season.
Lloyd, who faced Smith’s teams multiple times, acknowledged the challenges of competing in the ever-demanding Big 12. He also recognized the emotional side of the business, especially for Smith’s sons, who remained with the team.
Despite the off-court drama, Utah still had a game to play against Arizona, and history was not on their side. The Wildcats had dominated the Utes in recent years, winning 13 straight meetings at McKale Center. Since Lloyd took over, Arizona’s victories over Utah at home have come by an average margin of 21 points.
While Utah is left searching for a new direction, Arizona is in the thick of Big 12 contention. The Wildcats entered the matchup tied with Texas Tech for second place in the conference standings, while Utah’s NCAA Tournament hopes had faded.
For Lloyd, though, Wednesday night was about more than just basketball. It was about standing up for a fellow coach and acknowledging the human side of the game.
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