University of North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Roy Williams of Marion, North Carolina has announced his retirement from coaching college basketball at the National Collegiate Athletic Association level at the age of 70 on Thursday according to the Associated Press. Williams spent 15 seasons coaching the University of Kansas Jayhawks from 1988 to 2003, before going on to coach 18 more seasons the with the Tar Heels from 2003 to 2021.
In 33 seasons coaching men’s coaching basketball, Williams posted an overall record of 903 wins and 264 losses, for a winning percentage of .774. He also won three NCAA Division I Championships with the Tar Heels. They came in 2005, 2009, and 2017. In 2005, North Carolina beat Illinois 75-70. In 2009, the Tar Heels beat the Michigan State Spartans 89-72, and in 2017, North Carolina beat Gonzaga 71-65.
Among the players Williams coached in college basketball were Tyler Harnsbrough, Paul Pierce, and Kirk Hinrich. In addition being a head coach, Williams was an assistant coach at North Carolina from 1978 to 1988. There, he had an opportunity to learn from head coach Dean Smith and teach NBA legends Michael Jordan and James Worthy.
In his final season coaching the Tar Heels, they had a record of 18 wins and 11 losses. In the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, North Carolina lost 85-62 to Wisconsin in the first round of the South Regional. It was a minor upset as North Carolina was seeded eighth and Wisconsin was seeded ninth.
In other NCAA Men’s Basketball coaching news, the Texas Longhorns have named Chris Beard as their new head coach. Beard had been with Texas Tech since 2016.
On Friday, the NCAA Women’s Basketball Final Four will take place in San Antonio, TX. The University of Stanford Cardinal are playing the University of South Carolina Gamecocks in one semi-final, with the University of Connecticut Huskies playing the University of Arizona Wildcats in the other semi-final. The final will then take place on Sunday rather than the traditional Tuesday.
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