r/ArizonaWildcats

(Refer to posts on Big XII Sports Talk for timeline)

Kerr called the university president when Lloyd threatened to leave Indianapolis for Chapel Hill and the pres was going to accept an immediate resignation because he was not on board with Lloyd reporting directly to him.

Kerr allegedly rallied a booster pool for roster cash which was allegedly one of Lloyd's other demands. The president flew to Indianapolis and the deal was worked out Thursday night.

So Lloyd strongarmed his bag but where's the cash? 2 of the guys that declared wanted to work out a deal to stay and run it back but Lloyd wanted to pursue Europe and encouraged them to declare.

It was just reported today that U of A is $10 mil behind Kentucky in roster cash.

Where's the cash?

Jedd Fisch left the U of A football program in shards with his charade during the holidays of 2023.

Desiree Francois Reed flipped a massive budget deficit at the U of A and has gotten both football and men's basketball solvent and in the top 25 despite numerous challenges. One of her key decisions was bringing in Brent Brennan.

Many doubted his hiring and his first season was not great but they collaborated and made decisions to work out a better staff and football was back to the heights of the Fisch era at its end.

Being a longtime U of A fan, it's so exciting to see football no longer on the back burner to other sports. Football is the king of brand and revenue generation and I'm so excited for our future. Brennan and DRF are doing great things for Tucson and southern Arizona.

Look, I know some of you are getting tired of hearing about DRF, but frankly I’m getting tired of people NOT talking enough about the fact that DRF balanced the budget.

Balanced. The. Budget.

Do you understand how rare that is in modern college athletics? Other schools are out here lighting money on fire like it’s a halftime pyrotechnics show, while DRF calmly walks into Tucson, balances the budget, and starts running the athletic department like a Fortune 500 company. And yet some of you still have questions.

Every thread it’s the same thing:

“Can DRF retain elite head coaches?”

“Is DRF running a tight enough ship?”

“What’s the long-term vision?”

“How stable is the department internally?”

“Can DRF maintain institutional alignment in the Big 12 era?”

Brother. DRF balanced the budget.

Honestly, I don’t even care if a coach leaves anymore. Why? Because I know DRF has already balanced the budget. That’s called infrastructure. That’s called leadership. That’s called administrative grit. And let’s be honest: if a coach does leave, maybe they just weren’t spiritually prepared for the kind of fiscally responsible environment DRF is building.

People underestimate how much aura comes from balancing the budget. You think recruits don’t notice that? You think opposing ADs aren’t sitting awake at night wondering how DRF balanced the budget so efficiently?

At this point, I trust DRF with:

the athletic department,

the state economy,

air traffic control,

and probably the Federal Reserve.

The woman balanced the budget. Repeatedly, if we’re being honest.

Anyway, I’ll be back later with a 3,200-word post explaining how DRF balancing the budget has already improved Arizona’s culture, operational discipline, and possibly defensive line pad level.

- u/Wyo11

My source is saying on the inside tension is a lot more than it seems, especially on the basketball front. I guess not everyone is particularly thrilled with the amount of money coming out of the boosters coffers only to not have retained as much roster as expected. The lingering sour taste from Michigan hasn't helped.

Tommy Lloyd must have other candidates overseas to fill the power forward depth chart. I know Devin Williams visited on Monday, but he may choose another school. Hopefully, he chooses UA. We are hurting at that position. We need another big.