Mike Krzyzewski on Roy Williams' Retirement: 'One of the Greatest Coaches' Ever
Apr 1, 2021
DURHAM, NC - MARCH 03: (L-R) Head coach Mike Krzyzewski of the Duke Blue Devils talks to head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels before their game at Cameron Indoor Stadium on March 3, 2018 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
Duke men's basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski offered high praise to rival Roy Williams after the North Carolina coach announced his retirement Thursday.
Krzyzewski had nothing but kind words for the man he has competed against for 18 years in the ACC:
"We have all benefited from his longevity in and commitment to coaching," Coach K said. "His legacy is secure as one of the greatest coaches in college basketball history."
Williams won 903 games in 33 seasons at UNC and Kansas with three national championships.
Williams was the fastest coach in NCAA history to win 900 games and is the only coach with more than 400 victories at two different schools.
With nine Final Four appearances and 18 conference regular-season titles, his resume is as strong as nearly anyone's in the history of the sport. He was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007.
The words from Krzyzewski show the respect Williams has among his peers.
The Duke Twitter account also honored the coach Thursday despite the rivalry between the two schools:
Salute to UNC Head Coach Roy Williams on a legendary 48-year career. All respect. Thank you for all you have done for the game, our league and the greatest rivalry in sports. 🤝
Florida State head coach Leonard Williams said: "The landscape of college basketball has changed tremendously, but the Carolina tradition because of Roy Williams is as strong as it has ever been. He is a Hall of Famer in every sense of the title, and we want to wish him and his family well as they begin this new phase of their lives."
He created a standard that won't be easy to match for the next coach at North Carolina.
Legendary college basketball coach Roy Williams has called it a dadgum career. During a 33-year career, he oversaw the powerhouse programs of Kansas and North Carolina...
Hall of Fame HC Roy Williams Retires After 33 Years with UNC, Kansas
Apr 1, 2021
North Carolina head coach Roy Williams waves after being presented with a framed jersey commemorating Williams' 900th career win following an NCAA college basketball game against Florida State in Chapel Hill, N.C., Saturday, Feb. 27, 2021. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
North Carolina men's basketball coach Roy Williams announced his retirement Thursday after 48 years on the sideline, including 33 years as a head coach at UNC and Kansas.
Williams, who ranks third all-time among Division I men's basketball coaches with 903 career wins, was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007.
After 33 years as a Hall of Fame head coach, our beloved Tar Heel Roy Williams is announcing his retirement.
Thank you for all you have done and meant to everyone who plays and loves our game.
— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) April 1, 2021
The North Carolina native was a member of UNC's freshman team during the 1968-69 season. He received a master's degree in teaching from the university in 1973 and began his coaching career later that year at Charles D. Owen High School in the Tar Heel State.
He returned to UNC in 1978 and spent a decade as an assistant on the staff of the legendary Dean Smith before leaving in 1988 to take over at Kansas.
Williams guided the Jayhawks to a 418-101 record (.805 winning percentage) across 15 years with 14 appearances in the NCAA tournament and four trips to the Final Four.
Three titles and the third-most wins in the history of men’s college basketball.
The former Roberson High School standout returned to his college alma mater for the final stop of his coaching career in 2003.
Williams led the Tar Heels to three national championships (2005, 2009 and 2017) in 18 seasons with the program. He recorded seven 30-win campaigns as part of a 485-163 (.748) overall record.
UNC posted a 14-19 mark in 2019-20, the first time in the Hall of Fame coach's career that one of his collegiate teams finished with a losing record, but it bounced back to go 18-11 with an NCAA tournament bid this year.
Salute to UNC Head Coach Roy Williams on a legendary 48-year career. All respect. Thank you for all you have done for the game, our league and the greatest rivalry in sports. 🤝
Williams said after the team's first-round loss to Wisconsin that the disjointed season caused by the coronavirus pandemic took a toll on him.
"I started the season when I was 70 years old and I feel like I'm 103," hetold reporters. "It's been a difficult year. But everyone's had the problems with COVID that we've had. It's been a hard year to push and pull, push and pull every other day to get something done."
Hard to overstate Roy Williams' importance to UNC. He saved the program. 3 rings while humbly and comfortably being in his mentor's shadow. Adjusted to CBB trends well (esp for his age.) A great ambassador for the school and was extremely generous and gracious to all other sports
Steve Robinson, Hubert Davis and Brad Frederick were the Tar Heels' assistant coaches during the 2020-21 season. It's unclear whether the program will promote from within or seek an outside replacement for one of the best coaches in college basketball history.
Along with the three national titles and the Basketball Hall of Fame induction, Williams' accolades include being named Associated Press Coach of the Year twice, 18 conference regular-season titles, seven conference postseason titles and nine Final Four appearances.
He was also inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.
Roy Williams Says 'It's Been a Difficult Year' After UNC Loses to Wisconsin
Mar 20, 2021
North Carolina head coach Roy Williams reacts to a play during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Florida State in the semifinal round of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament in Greensboro, N.C., Friday, March 12, 2021. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
North Carolina head coach Roy Williams said Friday he believes the Tar Heels' foundation is "really, really special" despite an 85-62 blowout loss to Wisconsin in the first round of the 2021 men's NCAA tournament.
"I started the season when I was 70 years old and I feel like I'm 103," Williams told reporters. "It's been a difficult year. But everyone's had the problems with COVID that we've had. It's been a hard year to push and pull, push and pull every other day to get something done."
Williams added UNC wasn't "good enough or experienced enough or coached well enough" to beat the Badgers, but he remained optimistic.
"When you start talking about inexperience or youth or seven freshmen, that sounds like excuses," he said. "But those are facts. I think we have the foundation that can be really something. The foundation here is something that could be really, really special."
North Carolina bounced back from a forgettable 14-19 season in 2019-20 to post an 18-11 mark this year, but it looked outclassed against Wisconsin on Friday.
The Badgers executed anything they wanted offensively, shooting 50.8 percent from the field and knocking down 13 threes, and the Tar Heels couldn't keep pace. They shot 38.5 percent and tallied the same number of turnovers as assists (10 each).
Williams had never lost in the first round of March Madness, going 29-0 before Friday, counting his time at Kansas, and it was the first time UNC was knocked out in the opening round since 1999.
"I thought [Wisconsin] played very well and Roy Williams didn't coach very well," Williamssaidof himself.
His comments about the future should create hope for North Carolina fans, though. The roster was littered with key contributors who were underclassmen, and UNC has alreadysigneda pair of 247Sports 4-star prospects, Dontrez Styles and D'Marco Dunn, to its 2021 recruiting class.
Outside shooting is the biggest improvement needed. The Tar Heels shot just 31.7 percent from three-point range through the campaign, and it's hard to showcase any semblance of consistency in the modern game without knocking down outside shots.
Otherwise, the talent is there for Williams and UNC to put together a strong 2021-22 campaign and make a deeper run in next year's tournament.
North Carolina Upsets No. 11 Florida State to Give Roy Williams 900th Career Win
Feb 27, 2021
North Carolina forward Walker Kessler (13) reacts following a dunk against Florida State during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Chapel Hill, N.C., Saturday, Feb. 27, 2021. Florida State forward Malik Osborne (10) runs at right. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
UNC freshman forward Walker Kessler posted 20 points on 9-of-10 shooting, eight rebounds and four blocks off the bench to lead the unranked Tar Heels to a 78-70 home win over the No. 11 Florida State Seminoles in ACC basketball action Saturday.
The victory also gave UNC head coach Roy Williams his 900th career victory.
Williams, who led Kansas from 1988-89 to 2002-03 and UNC since the 2003-04 season, has won 418 career games with the Jayhawks and an additional 482 for the Tar Heels.
The three-time NCAA champion has led his teams to nine Final Fours and six national title game appearances.
Per Brendan Marks of The Athletic, Williams accomplished the feat in fewer seasons and games than anyone in men's college hoops history. He is the fifth coach to hit the 900-win mark. He has won 900 of his 1,161-lifetime games (77.5 percent win rate).
Jacob Turner of Heel Illustrated provided a postgame look of Williams being honored:
Roy Williams is honored after becoming the fastest D1 head coach to win 900 career games. Big-time achievement from a big-time coach. pic.twitter.com/Qj95Q2SSlA
Tar Heel freshmen propelled Williams to the 900-win mark on this day, with a trio of first-year guards in Kerwin Walton (13 points), RJ Davis (12) and Caleb Love (12) supplementing Kessler's scoring efforts. For FSU, junior forward RaiQuan Gray led the way with 17 points and eight boards.
Neither team had a good offensive performance. FSU shot just 38.8 percent from the field and committed 17 turnovers, and UNC made just 38.3 percent of its buckets while having 21 turnovers.
The difference ultimately came at the free-throw line, with UNC making 14 more shots from the charity stripe. UNC went 27-of-30, while FSU was just 13-of-20.
Kessler was the best player on the floor, though. The big man entered Saturday averaging just 3.4 points per contest, but he had averaged 9.75 points over his last four matchups.
He then proceeded to double his previous collegiate career high of 10, enabling UNC to pull off the upset victory.
Kessler's buckets proved timely. His dunk early in the second half gave UNC a 46-44 advantage:
Florida State led 41-29 at halftime, but the Tar Heels stormed back with a Kessler-fueled 10-0 run. The big man scored three buckets in that span.
Seminoles junior guard Anthony Polite ended the drought with a three-pointer, but UNC responded with a 7-0 run capped by a Kessler bucket.
The two teams proceeded to go back and forth, with FSU cutting the UNC lead to 61-58 following a Polite two-pointer.
But UNC responded with a 6-1 run to maintain some distance, with senior big man Garrison Brooks' tip-in helping the Tar Heels earn a 70-62 lead.
UNC made enough free throws down the stretch to keep FSU at arm's length en route to the win.
UNC improved to 15-8 overall and 9-5 in the ACC. FSU fell to 14-4 and 10-3 in the conference but still holds first place in the ACC by percentage points over Virginia (11-4 ACC).
FSU will look to rebound at home against Boston College on Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET. UNC will visit Syracuse on Monday at 7 p.m. ET.
Roy Williams: UNC Wouldn't Have Played Marquette If I'd Known We'd Lose
Feb 24, 2021
North Carolina head coach Roy Williams reacts during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Louisville in Chapel Hill, N.C., Saturday, Feb. 20, 2021. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
Another legendary ACC coach expressed some frustration with a reporter following a loss.
North Carolina head coach Roy Williams was asked to address those who were questioning whether the Tar Heels should have scheduled a late-February game against Marquette following Wednesday's 83-70 loss and seemed to take issue with the inquiry.
"Well if I'd known we were going to lose, God almighty, I wouldn't have scheduled the thing," Williams said. "C'mon. We can't operate in damn hindsight, God almighty. If you'd told me we were going to lose, hell yeah, we wouldn't have played the game. If you'd told me we're going to beat the Lakers, I would have scheduled them. Carolina fans are not that dumb. If they are, I got no answer."
This time of year is typically reserved for conference play as teams battle for positioning in the league standings and seeding for the eventual NCAA tournament.
Yet North Carolina scheduled this game against a Big East team that likely will not be in the Big Dance and paid dearly for it. David Cobb of CBSSports.com noted it was the team's first Quad 3 loss of the season, which will hurt it come Selection Sunday.
The Tar Heels are very much on the bubble and entered play as a No. 9 seed in the latest bracket projection from Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller. They were classified as a team with "work to do" in the bubble breakdown from ESPN's John Gasaway, and that was before this loss.
Marquette torched North Carolina's defense for 45 points in the first half and was largely on cruise control the rest of the way.
Williams isn't the first notable ACC coach to express some frustration with a reporter during a press conference following a loss this season. In fact, Duke's Mike Krzyzewski apologized to a student reporter after angrily responding to a question following a loss to Louisville.
North Carolina, which at least won its previous two games prior to Wednesday, will now be under the microscope even more in the season's stretch run.
It faces No. 11 Florida State on Saturday, which is an opportunity to add a marquee win to its resume to counterbalance this loss.
UNC's Armando Bacot Received Death Threats After Partying Video, Says Mother
Feb 9, 2021
North Carolina's Armando Bacot (5) plays against Pittsburgh during an NCAA college basketball game, Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
Christie Lomax, the mother of North Carolina men's basketball player Armando Bacot, said her son has been receiving death threats after video of Tar Heels players partying without masks surfaced this week.
"It brings me great concern that there have been threats toward my son, Armando Bacot's life, by individuals; one, who don't know him nor our family personally and two, did not know the whole story and truth," Lomax wrote in a statement Tuesday.
"We are all dealing in a time that is extremely unfamiliar, making adjustments can be hard and not doing the things we love can make us sad. I understand. At no time is it OK to threaten someone, it's unnecessary and downright evil. Let's not forget to love ourselves so that we can pass on love to others. God loves us all, Prayers to All."
Bacot and Day'Ron Sharpe were among the Tar Heels players identified in video obtained by The Daily Tar Heel of a maskless party that took place after Saturday's win over Duke.
The ACC postponed North Carolina's game against Miami, originally scheduled for Monday, as a result of the incident.
Tar Heels players and managers released a statement Tuesday apologizing for their actions:
"Saturday night, a number of players and managers—not just the ones shown on the video that was seen—got together to celebrate our win at Duke. Our intention was to celebrate privately within our group. Unfortunately, we allowed several friends who are not members of the team to join the gathering. We were inside and not wearing masks, which were mistakes. We apologize for not adhering to the University's and athletic department's guidelines and apologize to Coach Williams and his staff for not stepping forward when he first addressed it with us on Sunday. We have worked too hard for eight months doing the right things to make those kinds of mistakes at this point in the season. We are hopeful we will be able to play again soon and wish to remind everyone to stay safe so this pandemic will be over as soon as possible."
North Carolina coach Roy Williams said in a separate statement that the players were "paying a very significant price." It is unclear if the players involved will face a suspension or any other punishment from the school.
The Tar Heels' next scheduled game is Saturday against Virginia.
UNC Men's Basketball Players Apologize After Video of Maskless Partying Surfaces
Feb 9, 2021
North Carolina and College of Charleston tip off in front a limited crowd due to COVID-19 restrictions, at the Dean E. Smith Center during the first half of an NCAA basketball game in Chapel Hill, N.C., Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2020. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
North Carolina men's basketball players apologized Tuesday after video emerged that showed them in attendance at a party without wearing protective face coverings.
The Tar Heels issued the apology in an official statement:
"I appreciate the players voicing their apology," head coach Roy Williams said in astatement. "They made a mistake. They've been fantastic for more than eight months in the way they have dealt with the whole situation with the virus. But they realize they did make a mistake, for which they are paying a very significant price."
The ACCannouncedthat Monday's scheduled game between North Carolina and Miami in Chapel Hill was postponed after personnel from both schools "mutually concluded the game could not move forward."
PerJeff Goodmanof Stadium, Miami "wasn't comfortable" taking the court after Tar Heels playersDay'Ron Sharpe and Armando Bacot were seen on video at an indoor party without masks following Saturday's 91-87 win over Duke.
No makeup date has been announced. Miami has six games remaining in the regular season. North Carolina has seven regular-season games left.
Report: UNC's Game vs. Miami Postponed Amid Video of Players Partying Maskless
Feb 8, 2021
North Carolina's Day'Ron Sharpe (11) plays against Pittsburgh during an NCAA college basketball game, Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
The North Carolina Tar Heels are firmly on the NCAA tournament bubble, but they will not have an opportunity to bolster their resume Monday.
The ACC postponed the scheduled game between the Tar Heels and Miami Hurricanes after personnel from both teams met. The announcement explained both sides "mutually concluded the game could not move forward today."
Jeff Goodman of Stadium reported the postponement happened because Miami was not comfortable playing after video surfaced of North Carolina players Day'Ron Sharpe and Armando Bacot partying without masks following the Tar Heels' win over Duke on Saturday.
Prior to the postponement,C.L. Brownof theNews & Observerreported the status of Sharpe and Bacot for Monday's game was dependent on their most recent COVID-19 test.
The players were not the only ones partying following the win over the rival Blue Devils. UNC Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz tweeted a warning that "COVID doesn't take a break for the Duke game" when a number of students celebrated the victory:
I know many Tar Heels enjoy rushing Franklin Street to celebrate a big win, but we are in the middle of a global pandemic, and COVID doesn’t take a break for the Duke game. We will investigate this incident and work with local authorities to pursue consequences.
Bacot leads North Carolina in points per game (12.1), while Sharpe leads the team in rebounds per game (7.8) this season.
The Tar Heels are 12-6 and had begun to gather some momentum with a 7-2 mark in their last nine games. A home game against the 7-11 Hurricanes that they already beat once this season represented a chance to improve their resume as Selection Sunday approaches.
Greg Barnesof 247Sports noted this is the third time the Tar Heels had a conference game postponed because of COVID-19 concerns. The others both came in January (Syracuse and Clemson).
UNC won the rescheduled Syracuse game 81-75 on Jan. 12.
UNC 2020 Basketball Schedule: Predictions for Tar Heels' Season Matchups
Nov 10, 2020
North Carolina head coach Roy Williams cheers on his team against Wake Forest during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Chapel Hill, N.C., Tuesday, March 3, 2020. (AP Photo/Chris Seward)
Fans in Chapel Hill won't have to wait much longer to get their first look at what the 2020-21 North Carolina Tar Heels look like on the court.
The ACC unveiled its schedule Tuesday, with the 16th-ranked Tar Heels opening conference play Dec. 22 at PNC Arena against North Carolina State.
North Carolina is also among the eight teams included in the field for the 2020 Maui Invitational. It will play UNLV on Nov. 30 in the opening game of that tournament.
2020-21 North Carolina Schedule (Prediction)
Nov. 30: vs. UNLV, Maui Invitational
Dec. 1: TBD, Maui Invitational
Dec. 2: TBD, Maui Invitational
Dec. 22: at North Carolina State (Win)
Dec. 29/30: at Georgia Tech (Win)
Jan. 2: vs. Syracuse (Loss)
Jan. 5/6: at Miami (Win)
Jan. 9: vs. Clemson (Win)
Jan. 16: at No. 21 Florida State (Loss)
Jan. 19/20: vs. Wake Forest (Loss)
Jan. 23: vs. North Carolina State (Win)
Jan. 26/27: at Pittsburgh (Win)
Jan. 30: vs. Notre Dame (Win)
Feb. 2/3: at Clemson (Win)
Feb. 6: at No. 9 Duke (Loss)
Feb. 8: vs. Miami (Win)
Feb. 13: at No. 4 Virginia (Loss)
Feb. 16/17: vs. Virginia Tech (Win)
Feb. 20: vs. Louisville (Win)
Feb. 23/24: at Boston College (Win)
Feb. 27: vs. No. 21 Florida State (Win)
March 1: at Syracuse (Win)
March 6: vs. No. 9 Duke (Loss)
Predicted conference record: 14-6
One reason Tar Heels fans can't wait to get this season started is to wash the bad taste out of their mouths from a disappointing 2019-20 campaign. The team finished 14-19 overall (6-14 in ACC, tied with Pittsburgh and Wake Forest for last place).
In 32 seasons as a head coach between Kansas and North Carolina, Roy Williams had never posted a losing record until last year. It was also the worst single-season record for the Tar Heels since 2001-02 when they finished 8-20 under Matt Doherty.
Despite those struggles last year and the departure of leading scorer Cole Anthony, who declared for the 2020 NBA draft in April, there is a sense of optimism that North Carolina will get back on track.
Garrison Brooks, Leaky Black and Armando Bacot are returning starters. Brooks finished second on the team in scoring (16.8 points per game) and led the team in rebounding (8.6).
In addition to those veteran players, Williams and his coaching staff had one of the nation's best recruiting classes.
Per 247Sports composite rankings, North Carolina's freshman class ranks second behind the Kentucky Wildcats. The six-man recruiting class includes three 5-star prospects and three 4-star prospects.
Caleb Love is the crown jewel of the group as the No. 14 overall prospect, but he's followed closely by Day'Ron Sharpe (No. 15) and Walker Kessler (No. 22).
Love could be the difference between another rough season and a potential championship team in North Carolina. One of the Tar Heels' biggest flaws in 2019-20 was outside shooting; they finished tied for 313th in the nation with a 30.4 percent three-point percentage.
Travis Branham of 247Sports wrote in April that Love's stock was rising because of his improved shooting touch:
"Next, given his versatility and innate scoring ability, he is also a threat off the ball primarily as a slasher but he’s becoming much more of a threat with his consistently-improving shooting ability from three. Love is already more than capable of making shots from three but is still streaky, somewhat due to his shot selection and reliance to score for his high school team."
Williams' system is built on having players who need to shoot from behind the arc to succeed, but it does add an element that was sorely missing last season as the Tar Heels struggled to find consistency.
There's a strong mix of young and veteran talent on this year's roster that should keep North Carolina in the mix for a conference title, even though it is looking up at Virginia and Duke in the preseason polls.
