Why Roy Williams was one of the College Coach Greats
Growing up a Tar Heel fan, I have always looked up to College Basketball Head Coach Roy Williams. Who wouldn’t? Whether you are a UNC fan or not, he has done some very recognizable things in his career and has come a long way leading up to his retirement.
Early Life
Born in Marion, North Carolina August 1, 1950, Williams grew up there and in Spruce Pine, North Carolina. Williams and his family later moved to Asheville, NC, where he attended TC Roberson High School. There, he lettered in basketball all four years, under coach Buddy Baldwin. Baldwin was said to hugely influence Williams and his basketball career.
After graduating high school, Williams attended the University of North Carolina, played on the freshman basketball team, and continued to learn a lot of coaching skills, along with basketball strategies under coach Dean Smith. After graduating from college, Williams began his coaching career at Charles D. Owen High School, coaching golf, basketball, and football from 1973 to 1978. On top of coaching, he also served as an Athletic Director for two of those years.
The Beginning of a Professional Coaching Career
In 1978, he decided to make a change, accepting an Assistant Coaching position under Dean Smith at the University of North Carolina. There, Williams learned a great deal under his mentor Coach Smith. Williams stayed in that position for 10 years, until accepting a head coaching position at Kansas University for the men's basketball team. Williams gained a lot of head coaching experience in the 15 seasons he coached there. Leading them to four final fours and two national championships, Williams made a name for himself but was ready for a change. After his fifteenth season with Kansas, Williams took the head coach position of the University of North Carolina’s men's basketball team.
Coaching at the University of North Carolina
Williams was a great addition to UNC Basketball after taking the position. He quickly turned around the team's bad run going on for nearly two years, finishing his first season with a 19–11 record. After the 2003–2004 season, in the 2004–2005 season, William’s team suddenly turned on the afterburners, winning the 2005 National Championship. The next season, UNC lost their seven top scorers, but this didn’t stop Williams from forming an amazing team, and still being successful. This was mostly thanks to freshman Tyler Hansbrough, an extremely skilled basketball player for a freshman, setting multiple records. Because of this success, Williams was awarded Coach of the Year.
The next season, Williams picked up a heap of new prospects, bringing back the talent to UNC. While not winning another National Championship, they still pulled off winning the ACC title, one of Roy’s many. In the 2007–2008 season, UNC won yet another ACC title, also making it to the Final Four. Coincidentally, UNC lost to Williams’ former Kansas Jayhawks team in the Final Four. The 2008–2009 season was an amazing season for UNC. With Tyler Hansbrough returning for his senior season with a great roster, UNC was surely believed to dominate the competition. Turning predictions into reality, UNC won not only another ACC title but the National Championship.
UNC had a tough next year, dealing with the Academic-Athletic Scandal, where long story short, players were accused of not properly attending class, allegedly committing academic dishonesty. Regardless of the rough year, the team was still able to pull off a 20-win season, keeping Williams’ 20-win season streak alive. The next couple of seasons went decently well, winning two more ACC titles, one against long-time rival Duke University.
The next few seasons were fairly normal for UNC, with nothing major happening for a while until the 2016 NCAA Championship game. It was a tough game up until the end, with Villanova hitting a game-winning 3-pointer to win 77–74. UNC came back with vengeance the next year, bringing home Williams’ third National Championship. The next few years were great for UNC, and in 2021, with over 900 wins, Roy Williams announced his retirement after 18 years with Carolina.
Roy Williams was an amazing coach and mentor to many. Numerous players from Carolina have spoken on Williams’ great leadership, and how he not only made them better players but better people.
Sources
Gardner, Author: Maddie. “Former Player Speaks to Coach Roy Williams’ Leadership and Passion.” wfmynews2.Com, 2 Apr. 2021, https://www.wfmynews2.com/article/news/local/former-player-speaks-to-coach-roy-williams-leadership-and-passion/83-41d1f957-507e-44dc-8610-df212e3955dd.
“Roy Williams.” The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, https://www.hoophall.com/hall-of-famers/roy-williams/.
“Roy Williams (Basketball Coach).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 28 Nov. 2022, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Williams_(basketball_coach).
