The Dan Patrick Show – Hour 1: Final Four Preview, Fritzy Called Out (April 3, 2026)

Episode Overview

In this episode of The Dan Patrick Show, Dan and the crew dive deep into the NCAA Men's and Women's Final Four matchups, coaching rumor mill intrigue—especially surrounding Tommy Lloyd’s potential move to North Carolina—and the ever-shifting landscape of college basketball prestige. The team also debates what makes a job “root-worthy,” discusses recent high-profile sports choke jobs, and share some sharp, self-deprecating humor over past show moments and photo day mishaps.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Final Four Preview and Storylines

• Men’s Final Four Matchups (02:35)
  • Illinois vs. UConn; Michigan vs. Arizona.
  • Point spreads: Illinois and Michigan both favored by 1.5 points.
  • Dan: “These point spreads have not changed in the last 24 hours. Still one and a half, one and a half for Illinois, favored by one and a half and Michigan favored by one and a half over Arizona." [03:20]
• Women’s Final Four
  • South Carolina vs. Connecticut and Texas vs. UCLA.
  • Rematch energy: “These were the final four teams from a year ago. The matchups were switched and this year, South Carolina, UConn the early game.” [02:41]

2. Poll Questions of the Day

• How much would you pay to see your team in a title game? (04:41)
  • Options ranged from “below $200” to “over $1,000,” with crew skepticism about high ticket prices.
  • Seaton: “I'm gonna need an option below 200. I gotta admit, I’m not buying any of those tickets.” [05:03]
• Who is the most "root-worthy" team remaining? (05:29)
  • Questioning if there's a "great story" for the neutral fan.

3. Coaching Carousel: Tommy Lloyd & North Carolina’s Search

• Tommy Lloyd’s Status and Rumor Mill (05:51–15:57)
  • Dan’s inside info: “All roads point to Tommy Lloyd as the focus for North Carolina. There will be some apprehension. He’s a west coast guy, but there is conviction that he will succeed wherever he goes.” [23:19]
  • Pressure and prestige: The team debates the value and challenge between Arizona vs. North Carolina jobs—does a coach choose an easier path or the “bluest of blue blood” school?
  • Notable debate on job status:
    • “Is that a lateral move, though? Because Arizona, year in and year out gets really good players… North Carolina… it’s not the North Carolina we grew up with.” (Dan, [09:38])
    • Marvin: “I don’t want to treat North Carolina like they're Indiana. North Carolina's won the national title in the past 10 years… Kansas and Kentucky… are the bluest of the blue bloods.” [11:12]
    • Paulie provides salary context: “Tommy Lloyd, he’s making $5.3 million this year. That’s ninth in all of college basketball. And he’s making more than a million more than Hubert Davis was this past year at North Carolina.” [13:47]
• Dusty May at Michigan: Dan's source suggests he's staying put, dispelling some speculation.

4. Modern College Basketball Landscape

• Conference Strengths and Job Value (24:21)
  • Seaton: “I don’t know that you can really say that the ACC is a better conference than, say, the Big 12 anymore. Certainly recent memory, the Big 12 has been much better than the ACC in basketball.” [24:21]

5. Listener Calls and Memorable Fan Interactions

• Caller Stories (24:48–28:06)
  • Gibbs from Virginia Beach shares how calling the show led to his career as an NFL agent—and gets marriage advice from Dan. [24:59–27:23]
  • Buddha calls in from Burgundy, France, sharing wine-country updates and a callback to Kyrie Irving's flat-earth phase, keeping the show's banter global and light. [28:06–29:16]
  • Joe from LA quizzes the crew on greatest sports choke jobs of the century, leading into a lively debate. [29:23–31:11]

6. Greatest Choke Jobs of the 21st Century (29:23–37:14, 44:55–49:54)

• Top Moments and List Discussion
  • #1: Falcons-Patriots Super Bowl (28–3 lead blown)—consensus pick.
  • Yankees-Red Sox ALCS, Warriors over Cavs 2016, and Texas Rangers’ 2011 World Series collapse discussed.
  • “You just have to say ‘28–3.’ Everybody knows what you’re talking about.” (Seaton, [30:09])
• Lament over photo choice for the Falcons’ choke — “My problem is that Matt Ryan is the picture they used. He didn’t blow that game.” (Seaton, [48:16])

7. Podcast Crew Antics & Inside Jokes

• Photo Day & “Shorty” Incident (32:41–34:43)
  • Todd feels slighted by photographer’s repeated use of “shorty”; rest of crew rib him while discussing the (literal) pecking order for photos.
  • “There are ways in this politically correct world that we're in for her just to throw out Shorty, why don't you get off in front of this one? I'm like, what?” (Todd, [33:33])
• Resume Padding & College Days (34:52–36:41)
  • The crew reminisces about “fibs” on their resumes, revealing their (lack of) academic credentials with tongue firmly in cheek.

8. Fun Stats and Sports Oddities

• NBA Stat of the Day (43:54–44:42)
  • Only two players since 1996 have notched at least 200 made three-pointers and 100 dunks in a season: Trey Murphy and Lauri Markkanen.
  • “He has 200 three pointers and he had a dunk last night. The other player, His university is in the final four.” (Dan, [43:57])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Tommy Lloyd’s job search:

  • Dan Patrick: “Do I think he’ll take the North Carolina job? It feels that way, but I want him to be fair to the Arizona fans and this basketball team—coming up this weekend, that is your focus.” [08:30]
  • Todd: “Would a coach really consider staying put because they think where they are is an easier path to the Final Four?” [14:15]

• On College Basketball Blue Bloods:

  • Marvin: “North Carolina’s won the national title in the past 10 years… Kansas and Kentucky to me are the bluest of the blue bloods.” [11:12]

• On fans' sports “choke” memories:

  • Seaton: “All you have to say is 28-3. Everybody knows what you’re talking about.” [30:09]
  • Dan Patrick: “I can’t blame. Okay. He didn’t call the play. They were passing the ball. All they had to do is kneel down, kick a field goal…” [48:34]

• Podcast Crew Banter:

  • Todd on Photo Day: “She’s a very sweet woman. I was offended a little bit by it, but…” [33:36]
  • On resume padding:
    • Seaton: “West Virginia. That is where I went to school. I just–I only went for a year. I didn’t finish.” [35:33]
    • Paulie: “The only thing I fibbed about was how long I was in college. I just put my graduation of college. I didn’t put that it took me five and a half years to get an undergraduate degree.” [36:32]

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |-----------|-----------------------------------------| | 02:35 | Final Four matchups and point spreads | | 04:41 | Poll questions (tickets, root-worthy) | | 05:51–15:57 | Tommy Lloyd/NC coaching discussion | | 24:21 | Conference strengths debate | | 24:48–28:06 | Notable caller stories and advice | | 29:23–37:14 | Choke job debate and list | | 32:41–34:43 | Photo Day “Shorty” incident | | 34:52–36:41 | Resume-puffing podcast banter | | 43:54–44:42 | NBA stat: 200+ 3s and 100+ dunks | | 44:55–49:54 | Greatest choke jobs revisited |

Episode Tone & Language

The show combines sharp insider analysis, friendly arguments, humor, and playful self-deprecation. Dan’s role as an “in the know” host anchors the sports talk, while Paulie, Seaton, Marvin, and Todd provide color, skepticism, and levity. Listener calls bring a sense of community, nostalgia, and a few heartfelt moments.

For Listeners Who Missed It

• Best For: College basketball fans, sports talk radio lovers, anyone curious about coaching rumors or who craves witty banter.
• Missed ads, promos, and irrelevant intro/outro content have been skipped here.

This episode is a perfectly balanced mix of high-level college hoops analysis, relatable crew hijinks, and the kind of broad, audience-friendly nostalgia and “barstool” debate that defines The Dan Patrick Show.