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 Photo Jeff Green / for The Daily News Gonzaga assistant men's basketball coach Tommy Lloyd, a 1993 Kelso High grad, shouts instructions during a game against UCLA in 2006. |
Kelso grad Lloyd a large part of Zags' success
Wednesday, August 8, 2007 7:46 AM PDT
By John Pisapia
Printable version
E-mail this articleSPOKANE ---- Some 1,000 high school basketball players sat in anticipation of what Gonzaga University men's assistant basketball coach Tommy Lloyd would say.
Lloyd, a 1993 graduate of Kelso High School, welcomed the campers, which included teams from Kalama, Mark Morris and R.A. Long.
He talked about what would transpire during the five-day camp. He even touched upon one thing that wouldn't happen.
"Fellas, the girls attending summer school on this campus are not interested in you," he told the players. "You have no chance. You are here for basketball, that's it."
And so is Tommy Lloyd.
Lloyd has a beautiful family ---- wife Chanelle, Liam (5 1/2), Sophia (3 1/2) and Maria (3 months) ---- good friends and good health. But basketball consumes him.
"I knew from an early age that this (coaching) was what I wanted to do. I couldn't envision doing anything but this," he said.
Lloyd, who is 32 but looks 22, went from Kelso High to Walla Walla Community College, to Southern Colorado and ultimately Whitman College.
As a player, Lloyd could light it up. He dropped a school-record 52 points on Treasure Valley CC while playing for ex-Kelso coach Jeff Reinland at Walla Walla.
Lloyd continued his hoop career overseas, playing one year in Australia (1998) and one year in Germany (1999). Lloyd could have begun his coaching career in '99 at Gonzaga, but opted to play one more year of pro ball. It was a decision that nearly cost him.
"Gonzaga head coach Dan Monson offered me a graduate assistant position in 1999, but when I told him I had a chance to play in Germany, he said to go for it and get back to him when I was done," he said.
Lloyd did. But Monson was no longer in command.
"He (Monson) had taken the head coaching job at Minnesota," Lloyd recalled. "Monson told me to contact the new coach, Mark Few."
Lloyd did. And Few offered Lloyd an administrative assistant slot in 2000-2001. He latched on to it, and it has been a seven-year love affair for the ex-Hilander.
"I told Few I would do anything and everything he asked. I'd scout. I'd recruit. Whatever they wanted I was willing to do," he said.
And Lloyd did each and every task with a flourish. Lloyd's main responsibilities at Gonzaga are game preparation, recruiting and player development. He also plays a major role in organizing Gonzaga's basketball camps.
Lloyd's youthful exuberance made him a natural for recruiting.
"I think one of my strengths is being able to communicate with the kids," Lloyd said, while seated in Few's athletically opulent office.
Lloyd, who graduated from Whitman with a degree in biology and a secondary teaching credential, said that Gonzaga's cage success has made recruiting not necessarily easier, but different.
"It's easier to get the big-name kids to listen to you," he said. "The name Gonzaga will open more doors now, but when you walk in, Duke is already sitting there."
Lloyd, who reportedly makes in the neighborhood of six figures, wants to stay with Gonzaga as long as possible.
"I'm a Zag, through and through," he said. "I'm going to do the best job I can here and I'll let the other things take care of themselves."
As for Few's future at Gonzaga ---- his childhood buddy is now the athletic director at the University of Oregon; he is an Oregon grad; and he grew up in Creswell ---- Lloyd would be shocked if Few fled.
"I would be totally surprised if Few left. He's not a big football guy, so that wouldn't be a draw and he loves this area and the outdoors," Lloyd explained. "This is just a good fit for Coach Few."
Lloyd is No. 2 in longevity on the Zag coaching staff following the departure of long-time assistant Bill Grier (to become head coach at San Diego).
"Tommy is one of the great young coaches in the game," Few said on the team's Web site. "He is very well connected nationally and internationally, and has been a big plus in all our recruiting of our foreign players. He has also done an excellent job on the court with his coaching and game preparation. He continues to grow as a coach and I think he has a bright future in this profession."
Life couldn't get much better for Tommy Lloyd.
"I love this job and I love it here," he said, breaking into a Cheshire cat smile. "It's pretty nice."
John Pisapia is a former sports editor of The Daily News. He can be reached at sports@tdn.com
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