Later during that conversation, I suggested to Smith that he still had a lot of quality coaching mileage left and that maybe he should consider returning for an encore. He was extremely special, important to every player, every coach who ever worked here. He stopped when he did because he was afraid his memory wasnt as good as it was or had been. [5], He died at his home on May 12, 2015, after an extended illness, alongside his family. Without question, every opportunity that I would have to hire Roy Williams. The Tar Heels then went 24-10 in 1998-99 but were upset by Weber State in the first round of the NCAA tournament. He was instrumental in helping lure Williams back to North Carolina. What if he hadnt retired when he did? But there was no questioning the depth of their relationship. That said, its worth remembering that he told Williams just a few years ago that perhaps 66 was too early to retire, given his near flawless health at the time. (LogOut/ The inconsistent season came on the heels of a first-round NCAA Tournament loss in 1999. The complaints turned to praise after the teams unlikely Final Four appearance. Capital Financial - Learn how to secure lifetime retirement income. Guthridge was completely content in the role of a lifetime assistant and the Smith/Guthridge combo would have been weakened had Guthridge retired early. He was a lifetime assistant coach for whom Dean did a solid. Tim Crothers. But 1:57 was 1:57. 2023 Capitol Broadcasting Company, Inc. 08/08: Dean Smith to receive Presidential Medal of Freedom, 06/29/2011: Smith, Coach K, Yow honored by Naismith, 10/21/2008: UNC's Smith to receive Lapchick Character Award, 02/18/2008: ACC To Honor Dean Smith, Lorenzo Charles, other Greats, Bio Jobs Hub: Find a great-paying job that changes lives, even yours. He coached 1997-98 National Player of the Year Antawn Jamison 99 and 1998-99 NBA Rookie of the Year Vince Carter 99, both of whom entered the NBA draft after their junior seasons. Guthridge, who like Smith was a Kansas native, spent 30 years as an assistant coach and had ample opportunities to leave Chapel Hill and become the coach of his own program. At age 66 and in sound health, Smith easily could have coached another five or more seasons and done so with the same recruiting success that allowed him to turn over a team with Antawn Jamison, Vince Carter, Ed Cota and Shammond Williams to Guthridge. Smith and Guthridge had long maintained they'd. That team reached the Final Four and almost reached the title game even though Jamison and Williams missed 22 field-goal attempts in a 65-59 semifinal loss to Utah. One of the best testaments to Guthridges impact came on that retirement day, June 30. As a coach, he was stubbornly competitive. In his tenure at UNC, Guthridge coached five National Players of the Year, six ACC Players of the Year, five ACC Rookies of the Year and 28 first-team All-ACC players. Its often forgotten that he helped engineer the 2000 Final Four run by keeping his team in Charlotte overnight after a disappointing quarterfinal ACC Tournament loss, and pushing them hard in practice on Saturday. And come Monday, he got the fateful notice. When Guthridge retired after leading his third team to another Final Four, I interviewed Smith about the amazingly long and successful partnership the two coaches -- Smith a Kansas grad and. It was very, very much real and something Smith had to balance with the sentiment that maybe he had left too soon. But when Guthridge retired, Williamsthen playing with the Seattle Sonicsmade the effort to find a commercial flight to Chapel . Now Guthridge, 77, is enduring a similarly cruel fate . He is probably best remembered for his loyalty to Smith, who died in February at age 83. Guthridge, 62, said a few weeks ago that he planned to stay on another five or six years. Graduate of the University of North Carolina. School officials stressed that Guthridge was not merely a placeholder for then-Kansas coach Roy Williams, signing him to a five-year contract. Smith wrote in his memoir, A Coachs Life, that before he retired in 1997, he told recruits: If Im not coaching, I am confident that your coach will be either Bill Guthridge, Eddie Fogler, Roy Williams, Larry Brown, George Karl or Phil Ford, not necessarily in that order. In 2000, the Tar Heels struggled in the regular season, falling out of the polls for the first time since the start of the 199091 season. Theres no way you could dream, Hanners says, anyone would necessarily do better.. Ill just say this, says Dave Hanners, one of Smiths longtime assistants. But I know thats something that bothered him to his death, Ndiaye says. Not only did he coach me on the freshman team, he was my coach, another mentor, a friend, a father figure, a big brother for me just like he was for so many players. He was on the sidelines for a record 73 NCAA Tournament victories, including 71 at Carolina and two at Kansas State. The team performs dazzling spins and flips at campus events and even competes against other universities and jump rope clubs from around the country. That was probably six or seven years later where somebody else might recognize it. The protege was named Naismith College Coach of the Year in his first season as Smith's replacement. Our hope and fervent desire is that the best basketball coach in America will continue to practice his craft at KU, he said Thursday night. Postseason invitational champion For what? He wouldve been gone. What happened, happened. That team still went 34-4, losing to Utah in the Final Four. And that brings us full-circle, back to the original what-if: What if Dean Smith had finished out his contract, which ran through the end of the 2000-01 season? Bill Guthridge was a gentleman coach, but a fierce competitor, and an incredibly loyal member of Dean Smiths staff for three decades, said UNC Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham. Peterson -- who roomed with Jordan on those early 1980s teams -- said Guthridge kept the program going off the court, with the assistant making him run the school's golf course at 6 a.m. as punishment for once being late. Having grown up in North Carolina and gone to school here and worked here, I think it was probably just destiny.. His legacy lives on in each of the players who were privileged to call him Coach and countless Tar Heels and people across the nation who admired him. Guthridge didn't bother to recruit Jason Williams,. When coach Smith retired in 1997, after a tenure of 36 season, Guthridge took over the job to begin a reign of great basketball playing at UNC. And had Smith gone until age 71 or 72, as did Kentuckys Adolph Rupp, Carolina would have won another 50-60 games and the transition to Roy Williams might have happened seamlessly. "From cultivating a global mindset across campus to partnering with researchers across the world, we make connections that strengthen our state and establish Carolina as a leading global public research university.". When Coach Smith announced he was retiring and that Coach Guthridge was taking over, then it all clicked into place for me, Hanners says. Had Smith made the logical move and coached on until his 70th birthday -- the route likely to be taken by Dukes Mike Krzyzewski (66) and Syracuses Jim Boeheim (68) -- he would have finished with at least 1,000 wins and possibly two more national titles. With the number of Americans residing in assisted living communities nearing 1 million and growing, CEAL@UNCs work will be vital for ensuring that older adults nationwide have access to quality and supportive care that enables them to age with dignity and respect. In fact, Guthridge has been involved with 13 teams which have reached the Final Four-as a player at Kansas State in 1958, as an assistant coach with the Wildcats in 1964, as a Tar Heel assistant coach in 1968, 1969, 1972, 1977, 1981, 1982, 1991, 1993, 1995 and 1997, and as UNC's head coach in 1998.. Did Musselman coach in the NBA? There is one final thing, though, that seems to be consensus, the one aspect of this entire hypothetical that no one can seem to get over: that the reason there are still enduring questions about what Smith could have accomplished in those extra four seasons is because those are the same questions Smith himself always carried. Ironically, both coaches developed dementia along the way (Coach Smith died in January 2015 of complications from dementia). I enjoyed my 30 years as an assistant coach, and Ive enjoyed my three years as a head coach.. His legacy and contributions to my life and to our University will live on and hell be much more remembered for his sense of humor and class just as much as his coaching., It has been a trying time for the University of North Carolina basketball program over the past four months and our thoughts and prayers are with them again today after the passing of Bill Guthridge. After waiting an uncharacteristically long time to respond, he smiled and thanked me. Baddour says he never got that far down the line because of Guthridges interest. Watch more top videos, highlights, and B/R original content, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Guthridge, his wife said, suffers from vascular dementia - a condition that's a result of reduced blood supply to the brain. Copyright 2013 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. I wouldve gone to Roy.. Its another tremendous loss for our University, our basketball program and our entire community. Jamisons teammates and Hanners and Baddour all agree. The emotion was there, its just that it was often Guthridge providing it. He has a keen sense of which ones will be very good players and which ones may be overrated. Its funny, I talk to (Williams) players, and with the thought of the day, and the way things are run, and I go to their practices, Jamison says, its Coach Gut, Coach Smith in a younger body.. I would lean a little bit toward the side of Bill saying, Look, Im not on the front end of my career, its great to have done this, what a way to go out, Baddour says. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The careers and lives of the two coaches from Kansas were solidly intertwined. In our prayers. in mathematics in 1960 and an M.A. Had it worked out where there wasnt a down year or whatever, maybe things end up differently, Frederick says. A Tar Heel passing him in the hallway might greet him with a quick head nod and a greeting of, Coach. Guthridge would invariably respond with a similar head nod and, Player.. Guthridge took over when Smith retired after 36 seasons in October 1997. Some fans criticized Guthridge last season when the Tar Heels went through a four-game losing streak in January and entered the post-season with 13 losses. Guthridge went 80-28 from 1997 to 2000 before retiring in June 2000. After that loss, Carter and Jamison turned pro. Lets say youve got a 35-year-old guy. If I were to call Roy and ask Roy was he interested, the first question out of his mouth wouldve been, did Bill get a chance? Baddour says. He competed in one as a player at Kansas State in 1958, was an assistant coach at 11 before directing the Tar Heels at two as head coach. Sad news. Change). Who will win each 2023 conference tournament? His desire to be a coach I dont think ever stopped, Hanners said. Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun announced his retirement Thursday. But in hindsight, Hanners says there were clues that everything might not have been like normal. But Guthridge, who died Tuesday at 77 of heart failure, was not just one of the best college basketball coaches of all time, he was an unfailingly decent man who displayed a rare degree of. Guthridge could deal with Dean's irritability, his need to control the smallest things. End of conversation.. Bill Guthridge is best known in Chapel Hill as an assistant coach to Dean Smith, but that isn't the complete picture of the legendary coach. "My sympathies go out to his wife, Leesie, and their kids and family.". Coach Smith would be more likely to draw up something in a timeout, or draw up a play maybe we hadnt worked on, where as Coach Guthridge was going to rely on what wed done in the past, says Brad Frederick, a forward on that team and now a UNC assistant coach. Guthridge also handled many day-to-day responsibilities in the program and oversaw UNC's summer basketball camps. The Blue Sky Scholars Program gives scholarship support to middle-income parents and students from North Carolina. Ill really miss this next years team and what those guys have done for me, said Guthridge, whose team last season reached the Final Four before being eliminated in the semifinals. Dean Smith unexpectedly retired as head basketball coach at North Carolina just two months before the start of the 199798 season, and Guthridge was immediately named his successor. An assistant to Dean Smith for 30 seasons, Guthridge replaced his former boss when Smith retired in 1997 after 36 years as coach of the Tar Heels. He spurned offers to interview for head coaching vacancies, preferring to remain out of the spotlight and continuing to team with Smith. Why bring those up? Guthridge took over when Smith retired after 36 seasons in October 1997. Williams famously turned him down, opting to remain at Kansas, where hed built a Carolina-esque family dynamic (at Smiths alma mater, to boot). Ndiaye comforted his coach, who had become a friend in time. Only different alternate realities. The death of Guthridges mother, Betty, 96, two days before the Tar Heels played Tennessee at Knoxville in the NCAA South Regional semifinals also contributed to a difficult season. Yeah, Id say that was more likely than unlikely., I wouldve gone to where I went two years later, he says. A tremendously loyal person with an ego that was seemingly non-existent. When Bill Guthridge retired as North Carolina's basketball coach in the summer of 2000, it set off a chain reaction that touched the lives of dozens of people in his profession. He needed to hear that from Guthridge. How would his retirement alter the short- and long-term trajectory of a program built on consistency? And then Bill can decide along the way what he wants to do.. I wouldve never thought of that in a million years.. Only, given Guthridges age at the time (60) and the fact that hed always said hed retire when Smith did, Baddour wasnt totally sure Guthridge was interested. (LogOut/ The Child and Adolescent Anxiety and Mood Disorders Program is one of the first research programs focused exclusively on addressing the gap in child and adolescent mental health services. You wouldnt think that would work, but it did. Guthridge's did, too, and during Smith's funeral and memorial services, Williams, knowing the end could be near, told former players and current ones to spend time with Guthridge. Really, a championship or not is the only major differentiator between Smith and Guthridge. Hed grow bored of golf, and once that happened, his staff knew hed summoned up the energy for another go-around. It didnt bother me that I was a lousy coach, and when we started winning I was a better coach. MIAMI: Tulane athletic director Rick Dickson acknowledged he has given the school permission to talk to Green Wave coach Perry Clark about replacing Leonard Hamilton. Whatve you got to prove then?. But if Williams had declined the opportunity, as he initially did a year prior? We didnt play well for just five minutes, and that decided the game.. But I already had a better job than that and I was happy here. On one occasion, he actually accepted the head coaching post at Penn State, but stepped down from the post a few days later.[3]. He said Friday he now knows how Smith felt in 1997 when he stepped down. Think about it: Youve been an assistant coach for 30-plus years. He always knew what he was doing.. That startling decision equated to the ultimate professional sacrifice. Kansas chancellor Robert Hemenway said the school was privileged to have Williams. (Scott Sharpe/News & Observer), Standing Together With Our Black Community, Assistant Schall Named Head Volleyball Coach, After 33 Years, Volleyball Coach Sagula Retires, In Memoriam: Elizabeth B. Morgan (19302022). Bill Guthridge was consistently portrayed as a quiet gentleman. And so those players, all of them, kick around the questions to this day. I would have been as vigorous and go after that as hard as I could possibly go.. Guthridge said a few weeks ago he planned to stay another five or six years despite intense criticism from fans and alumni after the teams worst regular-season record in decades. Just like Smith, Guthridge found a way to impact his players beyond teaching them offensive and defensive principles. Even 22 years after turning down the Nittany Lions, Guthridge still couldnt quite bear to leave. If my answer was no, then Roy wouldve had absolutely zero interest. Guthridge would still call on Smith, after all, to speak to the team at certain times. Meanwhile, Creighton coach Dana Altman withdrew his name from consideration. What Smith left behind was arguably the most talented team hed ever assembled: a pair of future NBA All-Stars, Vince Carter and Antawn Jamison; the programs all-time assists leader, point guard Ed Cota; a lights-out shooter, Shammond Williams; a frontcourt enforcer, Makhtar Ndiaye; and much more. In retrospect, Smiths premature exit was a mistake on all fronts. In Williams second season in Chapel Hill, he won his first national championship the one the 97 team witnessed. 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The perception of Smiths program might have been that it ran without emotion. We offer our deepest sympathies to Bills family, friends and the entire North Carolina basketball community.. But theres also the fact that Dean did it his way, which was entirely predictable. Former UNC Coach Bill Guthridge passed away last night at age 77 w/ family at his side. "He was an unbelievable assistant to Coach Smith. I really liked the attitude of the team, the way they worked hard and how they were rewarded finally. Prior to that, Guthridge served as Smith's assistant coach for 30 years. Which put Baddour on the search for a long-term replacement for the first time. He was a friend. But if Smith was selfless in his handling of McAdoo, it was nothing compared to Smiths shocking retirement on Oct. 9, 1997. And so even as the coachs hair changed from dark brown to gray to white, his position never did. He was North Carolina basketball, the constant as the new building was built in his honor and the banners in the rafters accumulated, the link from Scott to Ford to Jordan to Stackhouse. And by the end of every summer, Smith returned freshly rejuvenated. Then there are the other options from Smiths tree: Karl and Fogler and even Larry Brown. #RIP. Hed told reporters he expected to honor the remaining four years on his deal. He was enormously committed to attention to detail and organization, says Dick Baddour, a longtime university administrator who served as athletic director from 1997 to 2011. Had McAdoo returned, Smiths team would have been much better positioned to deal with David Thompsons stunning impact on NC State, the ACC and the nation. Its funny that were doing this story, Jamison says. He was known to answer a question such as Coach, do you know what time it is? with a Yes as he walked away. Making the Final Four is a tremendous accomplishment but its not what you chase. (Smith told me), Its just not coming back. Guthridge was the consensus National Coach of the Year in 1998. The flip side of reality offers another interesting scenario: What if Guthridge had led that group to a win over Utah, and then over Kentucky in the championship game. Kansas coach Roy Williams, a former North Carolina assistant under Smith, will succeed Guthridge, a source close to the university told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. Born William Wallace Guthridge, he attended Kansas State University where he played guard on the basketball team and helped the Wildcats. 2023 The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Improving child and adolescent mental health, A message from the chancellor: We are a global university, Carolina Engagement Week Returns for a Second Year, Feb. 27 Through March 3, Book Publishing I: The Process with Christopher Ahn, Parr|Bioethics Joint Lecture: Elizabeth Barnes (University of Virginia), Disability and Health: An Its Complicated Relationship, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Former University of North Carolina mens basketball coach Bill Guthridge passed away May 12. "Needless to say I'm tired of having meetings like this." Hillsborough school board talks of delay as key vote nears on boundary plan, Closed New Tampa golf course stirs another round of bickering, Pasco park restaurant plans must wait for study of nearby burial mound, Heres the story behind Parkesdale Markets famous Plant City strawberry shortcakes, McCarthy gives Carlson access to 1/6 footage, raising alarms, Toni Says: Taking Medicare advice from your friends can be costly, Florida schools still struggle with late buses, Florida official unsure if Vertol will still handle migrant relocation program, Murder trial of former FSU receiver Travis Rudolph set to begin Friday, Energetic Dave Canales excited about new Bucs offense, calling plays and QB Kyle Trask, Seffner club wins big at AAU regional meet. (Robert Willett / Tribune News Service via Getty). (Updated at 2:22 p.m.) By Elizabeth A. Davis Associated Press Writer North Carolina coach Bill Guthridge retired Friday after three years as Dean Smith's successor, a move that opens one of the . Another go-around shocking retirement on Oct. 9, 1997 73 NCAA Tournament victories, including 71 at Carolina two. So even as the coachs hair changed from dark brown to gray to white, his staff knew hed up. Stepped down jump rope clubs from around the country a lifetime assistant and the entire North Carolina honor remaining! To Smiths shocking retirement on Oct. 9, 1997 weeks ago that he planned to stay on another five six. From North Carolina line because of Guthridges interest in helping lure Williams back to North Carolina in February at 83! Then went 24-10 in 1998-99 but were upset by Weber State in the Final Four a... Needless to say I 'm tired of having meetings like this. things! 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