 Lotz served as an assistant coach for the North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team of the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, North Carolina under head coach Dean Smith from 1965 to 1973.During his eight seasons with Smith's Tar Heels, the team made four appearances in the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament.Lotz became the head coach of the Florida Gators men's basketball team of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, a position he held from 1973 to 1980.