By Jordan Long
The University of North Carolina Men’s Basketball team made the NCAA Tournament with an 18-11 record. They were knocked off in the initial round of 64 by the University of Wisconsin. It was expected Head Coach Roy Williams would return next year but he decided to retire after 18 years with the school and 33 years in NCAA basketball.
Williams was hired by the University of North Carolina prior to the 2003 season. The Tar Heels were coached by Matt Doherty from 2000 to 2003. Doherty’s overall record with North Carolina was 53-43, a winning percentage of .552 with one NCAA tournament appearance in 2001. That year, North Carolina advanced to the 2nd-round before being knocked off by Penn State 82-74. Doherty decided to resign on March 31, 2003.
Williams brought plenty of experience to the Tar Heels. He was the Head Coach of the University of Kansas from 1988 to 2003. In that time, Kansas went 418-101 with an impressive winning percentage of .805. The University of Kansas ended up in the NCAA Tournament every year except 1989 under Williams. He took them to 4 Final Fours and 2 appearances in the National Championship Game. They lost in 1991 to Duke and 2003 to Syracuse.
Williams anticipated turning the program around since Doherty failed to do so. They had not won a National Championship since 1993. Williams was hoping to end that drought. In his first season, the Tar Heels finished 19-11, earning an NCAA appearance. They were defeated in the 2nd-round by Vanderbilt.
The very next year, Williams coached them to a Final Four and they won the school’s first NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament in 12 years. That season they defeated the University of Illinois 75-70. The Tar Heels advanced to 4 more Final Fours with 2 more National Championships, 2009 and 2017. Williams ends his tenure at North Carolina with an outstanding record of 485-163, a winning percentage of .748. With Williams North Carolina went to the NCAA Tournament every year but two, 2010 and 2020.
Williams leaves college basketball with an exceptional record of 903-264 or a winning percentage of .774. He coached his teams to 9 Final Fours and 3 National titles. There wasn’t much left for Williams to do in the college game. He leaves on his own terms.
North Carolina will start a coaching search for the next Men’s Basketball Coach. Whoever it will be has big shoes to fill because of what Williams was able to accomplish. North Carolina will take their time. Hopefully whoever takes over the program will help them go to the NCAA Tournament almost every year, a few Final Fours, and win a National Championship.
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