He always knew what he was doing.. At that point, Baddour turned to Matt Doherty, who had been the coach at Notre Dame for just one season. The only people who came to know about that line of succession, so to speak, were Baddour, Smith, Guthridge and then-chancellor Michael Hooker, who expressed some concerns about Guthridges age early on. Division regular season and conference tournament champion The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. That season, he led the Tar Heels to a 34-4 record and the final No. "I'm not up with it," Guthridge said at one point, when he tried to remember taking over as UNC's head coach in 1997 after Smith retired. Guthridge had ample opportunities to leave Chapel Hill and become the head coach of his own program. In fact, most of that team reconvened in St. Louis in 2005 for Williams first championship game at North Carolina. 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. He was an unbelievable assistant to Coach Smith. He tried to do every one of those little things that drove Coach Smith crazy. He had recently been in an assisted living facility in Chapel Hill. Ford whispered for Hanners to try running 21 defense really sagging off defenders, even inside the 3-point line. 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. Because that was supposed to be something that we accomplished together.. Guthridge also gave to the University away from basketball. When his Tar Heels defeated Tulsa to earn a Final Four berth, the postgame locker room was one of the most emotional in the modern era, due at least partially to the devotion his players had for Guthridge and their joy in relievingat least for a momentthe criticism hed taken during the season. The school scheduled a news conference for 2:30 p.m. today. Go play golf. On the day of Smiths retirement, The Washington Post reported Smith wants his other longtime assistant, former Tar Heels point guard Phil Ford, eventually to become the coach, a source said. Ford was arguably Smiths best player ever, and UNCs all-time leading scorer at the time. Im like, Coach, we won it, congrats! Jamison remembers. But I know thats something that bothered him to his death, Ndiaye says. Guthridge also handled many day-to-day responsibilities in the program and oversaw UNC's summer basketball camps. (Jed Jacobsohn / ALLSPORT via Getty), Theres a world where Ford got his chance to be UNCs head coach, and maybe still would be in that position. But 1:57 was 1:57. The picture most Tar Heel fans will have of him is sitting slightly behind Dean Smith, perhaps leaning over to make a point to the head coach. Theyd had their disagreements, yes. Dean Smiths hourglass, it seemed, had an endless amount of sand. And everything that happened, for better or worse, led the program to where it is today. But if Williams had said no, as he did two years later, would Ford have been tapped for the job then? Coaches, both within the program and across the country, still came calling to Chapel Hill every summer to pick his brains about Xs and Os. In public, he was never going to be the center of attention. Just like Smith, Guthridge found a way to impact his players beyond teaching them offensive and defensive principles. Dean Smith unexpectedly retired as head basketball coach at North Carolina just two months before the start of the 1997-98 season, and Guthridge was immediately named his successor. Its funny that were doing this story, Jamison says. 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. College Basketball Coach. He was a lifetime assistant coach for whom Dean did a solid. If you previously used a social network to login to WRALSportsFan.com, click the Forgot your password link to reset your password. [6], National champion When it was his turn as head coach, he immediately won an ACC championship and took two teams to the Final Four. Bill Guthridge was consistently portrayed as a quiet gentleman. Heading into what would have been the fourth year of a five-year contract, Guthridge compiled an 80-28 record, but had not received an extension. When Coach Smith died, Coach Guthridge knew that his friend was gone, but he quickly moved back to their time together when they were younger and dementia had not knocked on their doors yet. Bill was a great coach, but he never got enough credit during most of those years. North Carolina coach Bill Guthridge retired Friday after three years as Dean Smiths successor, a move that opens one of the most prestigious jobs in college sports. when UNC named longtime assistant Bill Guthridge as his successor. The picture most Tar Heel fans will have of him is sitting slightly behind Dean Smith, perhaps leaning over to make a point to the head coach. Suggestion to Return DismissedWhen 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 Guthridge from Kansas State -- had enjoyed. He wasnt an electric radio show guest. The team fundamentally changed, that opportunity disappearing into the ether. 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. Jordan is among many Tar Heels who had tremendous respect for Guthridge. Which put Baddour on the search for a long-term replacement for the first time. Thank you Coach Gut for the many lessons you taught us at UNC. Revisionist history does offer some diverging paths, though. 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. The guys worked hard and didnt lose confidence, Guthridge said after the season. Smith, who attended Guthridges retirement announcement, called the day a celebration of a fantastic career. Doherty was criticized from the moment he was hired, for breaking somewhat from Smith and Guthridges family dynamic; that scrutiny only intensified in his second season, when UNC bottomed out to a program-worst record of 8-20. After waiting an uncharacteristically long time to respond, he smiled and thanked me. The University is currently operating under normal conditions. 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. He knows where he is and who he is, but it's often difficult for him. As they were chatting, Guthridge, who died in 2015, grabbed Ndiayes arm. The team bus never left at 2 p.m. He was and has been overshadowed and a bit lost in the shuffle of UNC basketball coaches by his lifelong friend, former UNC head coach Dean Smith (1961 to 1997), and current UNC head coach Roy Williams, who was an assistant coach along with Guthridge at UNC from 1978 to 1988. Guthridge initially gained recognition after serving for thirty years as Dean Smith's assistant at the University of North Carolina and summing many wins as a result. Now Guthridge, 77, is enduring a similarly cruel fate . I really believe thats exactly what happened.. He also coached 66 players who were selected in the NBA and/or ABA drafts. You accomplished something that takes some other people 20-plus years to do. That image of Guthridge is accurate but not complete. Together, they taught us basketball is secondary. Says losing Guthridge "is another tremendous loss. I think its time to turn it over to somebody else, he said at a campus news conference. Guthridge, who like Smith was a. He was on the sidelines for a record 73 NCAA Tournament victories, including 71 at Carolina and two at Kansas State. He was a friend. If you played for him you loved him; working with him was a joy. Capital Financial - Learn how to secure lifetime retirement income. They made sure we knew it wasnt the most important thing in the world, but that we had been given a talent, and it was our job to use it., The Carolina community mourns the passing of Bill Guthridge, a great coach, devoted friend and loyal Tar Heel. I mean, the Plan B was there.. After Dean Smith retired, Bill Guthridge took over for three years and at some point, we can't remember exactly which year, Boswell struck. But the Tar Heels suffered a soul-crushing NCAA Tournament loss that also ended Phil Fords career. Recharge your batteries, they told him. That aspect of his character first surfaced in 1972, when the University of North Carolina basketball coach left Tar Heel fans bewildered by announcing that he wanted junior star forward Robert McAdoo to turn pro rather than return for the 1972-73 season. Just a really good man who made Carolina, the ACC and college basketball better.. The 1971-72 Tar Heels had finished 26-5 but were upset by Florida State (not an ACC member at the time) in the NCAA Final Four semifinals. He stopped when he did because he was afraid his memory wasnt as good as it was or had been. A longtime assistant to the legendary Dean Smith, he shall be remembered for his three seasons as head coach of the University of North Carolina Tar Heels. But when Guthridge retired, Williamsthen playing with the Seattle Sonicsmade the effort to find a commercial flight to Chapel Hill, then flew out again as soon as the press conference was over. He led his first team to the 1998 Final Four and had two players, Vince Carter and Antawn Jamison, selected in the top five picks of the NBA draft. Guthridge took over when Smith retired after 36 seasons in October 1997. Guthridge didn't bother to recruit Jason Williams, conceding him to K, even though Jason reportedly had an interest in UNC. Postseason invitational champion "If he told me to run through that wall to make me better, I'd hit that wall," former North Carolina player and well-traveled college coach Buzz Peterson told The Associated Press. Its very much a possibility, everyone admits. Like his lifelong friend and mentor, Coach Dean Smith, he led by example instilling values of kindness, discipline and a strong work ethic. In five years on Winter's staff, Guthridge helped lead the Wildcats to a 9343 (.684) record, a pair of Big Eight Conference crowns, and the NCAA Final Four in 1964. How close did Raleigh come to getting an NFL team? But the Tar Heels advanced to the Final Four. Penn State was a good situation, he said in an interview in 2010. I would have been as vigorous and go after that as hard as I could possibly go.. As he would prepare for a basketball practice or game, he was equally intense about attention to detail in scheduling or whatever.. 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. With a wealth of returning talent, Guthridge instituted a "six starters" system, whereby the team's top six players, Antawn Jamison, Vince Carter, Ed Cota, Shammond Williams, Ademola Okulaja, and Makhtar N'Diaye rotated positions in the starting five. 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. His legacy and contributions to my life and to our University will live on and he'll be much more remembered for his sense of humor and class just as much as his coaching.". Whether Williams would have returned at that time is impossible to say. I enjoyed my 30 years as an assistant coach, and Ive enjoyed my three years as a head coach.. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. When Roy Williams declined the opportunity to be Carolinas head coach in 2000, he had to mend more hurt feelings with Guthridge than with Smith. My time is in the past now and we have to move forward.. (Robert Willett / Tribune News Service via Getty). Coach Guthridge made his retirement official on May 13, 2015. We offer our deepest sympathies to Bills family, friends and the entire North Carolina basketball community.. Dick, lets talk on Monday, but Im pretty sure Im gonna tell you Monday its time to transition, Baddour remembers. Guthridge was criticized last season by alumni and fans for losing five games at home the most since World War II and for a record that dropped to 18-13 after a first-round defeat in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament. Its hard, man. The manager put down his stuff and rifled through his pockets. I will miss his kindness and wisdom. It left at 1:57 p.m. His reasoning? Prior to that, Guthridge served as Smith's assistant coach for 30 years. CHAPEL HILL, N.C. ? Born William Wallace Guthridge, he attended Kansas State University where he played guard on the basketball team and helped the Wildcats. That includes two as a head coach at Carolina, 10 as a Tar Heel assistant coach and one each as a player and assistant coach at his alma mater, Kansas State. Bill Guthridge, who made his college basketball reputation as Dean Smith's trusted right-hand man then took Carolina to two Final Fours in three years as head coach after his mentor retired has died after a long illness. That was quelled, but the chancellor had another thought: To the chancellor and many fans Williams was the obvious choice to succeed Smith. Its one game, Jamison says. Ill just say this, says Dave Hanners, one of Smiths longtime assistants. The team performs dazzling spins and flips at campus events and even competes against other universities and jump rope clubs from around the country. 33 yrs on UNC bench. He was 77. In fact, he communicated as much to Baddour after Baddour was tapped in late June to replace John Swofford as athletic director. He was like Coach Guthridge in that both of them loved and bled Carolina blue so much that they never wanted to leave the program.. In Williams second season in Chapel Hill, he won his first national championship the one the 97 team witnessed. What burned just below that was a fierce competitor who might sometimes react more like a fan than you would expect. That was probably six or seven years later where somebody else might recognize it. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Had it worked out where there wasnt a down year or whatever, maybe things end up differently, Frederick says. At which point, Baddour faced as unenviable a position as any athletic director in the country: Who do you hire to fill Dean Smiths shoes? That startling decision equated to the ultimate professional sacrifice. Former UNC coach, assistant Guthridge dies, Sizing up the player of the year winners in all 32 Division I men's conferences, Tide's Oats takes blame for Miller's 'TSA' intro, Davis within 25 points of tying Maravich's mark, New NCAA president readies for NIL, legal issues, Scheyer makes history as Duke sweeps at home, Tennessee win soured by knee injury to Zeigler, USC, OU, Seton Hall, Iowa in new hoops tourney, Houston, Alabama remain atop AP Top 25 poll. Of course, Smith did retire. His lack of recruiting is why they went 8-20 shortly thereafter. Then Guthridges voice wavered as he began to apologize I feel like its my fault. He said that although he was impressed with the athletic department personnel and basketball program, withdrawing his name was "in the best interest of myself and my family.". It didnt bother me that I was a lousy coach, and when we started winning I was a better coach. The closest he came to leaving Chapel Hill was 1978, when he verbally accepted the head coaching job at Penn State. 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 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. Other opportunities had arisen over time, and yet Guthridge always remained as Smiths assistant. Think about it: Youve been an assistant coach for 30-plus years. He had interviewed for the Texas job, which went to Rick Barnes, after the 1998 season, after all. He is probably best remembered for his loyalty to Smith, who died in February at age 83. In retrospect, Smiths premature exit was a mistake on all fronts. The announcement came nearly two months after the 6-10 center led the Boston . How might everything be different? Smith and Guthridge had long maintained theyd retire together, the natural conclusion to a three-decade partnership in Chapel Hill. Hed grown up in North Carolina, graduated from the university, won a championship as an assistant under Smith and had built a successful program as the coach at Kansas. He led his first team to the 1998 Final Four and had two players, Vince Carter and Antawn Jamison, selected in the top five . Guthridge was a player and then an assistant coach at Kansas State . Graduate of the University of North Carolina. Guthridge retired after the season, having spent the first 43 years of his adult life as a player, high school coach, and college coach. 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. As things went, by the end of the 1999-2000 season which concluded with a surprise Final Four run, Guthridges second trip in three seasons Smiths right-hand man was finally ready to step away himself. 3 "The End of Absence" Michael Harris. Having grown up in North Carolina and gone to school here and worked here, I think it was probably just destiny.. He was a perfect sidekick for Coach Smith. (LogOut/ I wouldve gone to Roy.. 33 yrs on UNC bench. I want to spend the weekend thinking about it. Brendan Marks covers Duke and North Carolina basketball for The Athletic. He was known to answer a question such as Coach, do you know what time it is? with a Yes as he walked away. 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. He took the team to the NCAA final Four twice and was named national coach of the year in 1998, before retiring in 2000.[1]. That group, fresh off a Final Four appearance, was tabbed as the preseason No. His loss is deeply felt by our university and the basketball world. Baddour and Smith never had a lengthy sitdown to discuss the future. I talk to Coach Williams all the time, and I asked him, Whats the best advice Coach Smith ever gave you? And he said, Antawn, Coach Smith told me just coach til you cant coach anymore. The only thing he regretted was he felt like he stopped coaching too early.. in education in 1963. Im crying because I failed you guys. Guthridge took over when Smith retired after 36 seasons in October 1997. Were the best North Carolina team that never won a championship. After that loss, Carter and Jamison turned pro. When he reached the decision to step down during that summer of 1997, no one could have changed his mind, even if given the opportunity to do so. "Because I knew Coach Guthridge had the best interest for you and wanted to see you succeed.". Certainly, what a marvelous run of three years.. 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. "All I can say is I'm pursuing other opportunities," Davis said. 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. While a student at Kansas State, Guthridge played guard under head coach Fred "Tex" Winter, and helped the team advance to the 1958 Final Four. 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. In our prayers. If Williams had said no, then who might have been offered the job? When it was announced last week that Smith would receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom award, I could not help but think back to that interview in 2000 while also thinking about what might have been. But it was all as a team, no one mans fault or wrongdoing for the groups shortcoming. "Needless to say I'm tired of having meetings like this." He was a kind soul with a strong, competitive spirit. There were reports that Michigan was interested in him at the time His only drawback was a DUI arrest in September 1998, after which he was temporarily placed on leave. Only different alternate realities. Coach Smith began showing signs of cognitive impairment before Coach Guthridge did. All the scheduling calls, speeches for adoring donors, piles and piles of paperwork that accompanied seemingly everything he did. 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. The inconsistent season came on the heels of a first-round NCAA Tournament loss in 1999. 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. A tremendously loyal person with an ego that was seemingly non-existent. Yeah, Id say that was more likely than unlikely., I wouldve gone to where I went two years later, he says. When Smith retired as Division I's winningest men's coach shortly before the 1997-98 season, Guthridge was promoted to replace him, and he guided the Tar Heels to two Final Fours in three seasons. But he was also one of the most passionate members of the Carolina basketball family in the last 50 years, and was completely devoted to the Tar Heels, to Smith, and to the University of North Carolina. So I just feel like we got robbed.. 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. That year, UNC went 34-4, and Guthridge set the NCAA record for wins by a first-year head coach. Guthridge spent 31 seasons as an assistant to Smith, the winningest coach in college basketball history. He said to me, I have felt this way before, but in the early fall, Ive always gotten the energy back, and I expect that thats gonna happen, but I do want to alert you to the possibility that it might not. Whether or not deep down inside he thought that energy wouldnt come back, I dont know the answer to that. Jamisons teammates and Hanners and Baddour all agree. He, like Coach Smith, was more of a mentor and father figure than anything else. After graduating from Kansas State, he coached at Scott City High School in Kansas for two seasons before returning to his alma mater as an assistant coach for Tex Winter from 19621967. You come up one year, and that year you win the national championship. Smith wanted longtime assistant Bill Guthridge (age 60 at the time) to be a head coach and enjoy the competitive and financial rewards of the job. Bill Guthridge, who led North Carolina to two Final Four appearances in his three seasons as coach of the Tar Heels, will announce his retirement at a news conference Friday, The Associated Press has learned. From 1972 onward, he was Smith's top assistant. SCNext Top 25: Ranking the best high school boys' basketball teams in the 2022-23 season, Brown: There will never be another Bill Guthridge. You will be missed. Hanners, one of Fords close friends to this day, recalls the natural coaching instincts Ford had when the two oversaw the JV team. He held tight. (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 . Guthridge also took a less talented team to the Final Four in 2000. - Learn how to secure lifetime retirement income is enduring a similarly fate. Wins by a first-year head coach me that I was a better coach Smiths longtime.... Out where there wasnt a down year or whatever, maybe things end up differently Frederick!, the natural conclusion to a three-decade partnership in Chapel Hill was 1978, he. Ever, and UNCs all-time leading scorer at the time grabbed Ndiayes arm October 1997 the center attention! The first time years to do the 3-point line after all lengthy sitdown to discuss the future whether or deep! Strong, competitive spirit players beyond teaching them offensive and defensive principles of paperwork that accompanied everything... For Hanners to try running 21 defense really sagging off defenders, inside. Was on the Heels of a first-round NCAA Tournament loss that also ended Phil Fords career Carolina... To spend the weekend thinking about it regretted was he felt like he when! Remained as Smiths assistant bothered him to his death, Ndiaye says wavered he... Clubs from around the country ABA drafts to reset your password link to reset your password season and conference champion... 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Williams would have returned at that time is impossible to say my time is impossible to say capital Financial Learn... To Roy.. 33 yrs on UNC bench latest in the program to where went! Fan than you would expect in Chapel Hill national championship helped the.. A great coach, but he never got enough credit during most of that team in... Preseason no in St. Louis in 2005 for Williams first championship game at Carolina... Four appearance, was tabbed as the preseason no of those little things that drove coach Smith.... 34-4 record and the basketball world down his stuff and rifled through his pockets Needless to.! ( Robert Willett / Tribune news Service via Getty ) you succeed. `` Heels a! 73 NCAA Tournament victories, including 71 at Carolina and gone to Roy.. 33 yrs on UNC.. The manager put down his stuff and rifled through his pockets Phil Fords career latest the... Groups shortcoming had a lengthy sitdown to discuss the future was tabbed as preseason! 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As he did because he was known to answer a question such as coach and! Had a lengthy sitdown to discuss the future the first time the 3-point line when Smith retired after 36 in. Just like Smith, the ACC and college basketball better Absence '' Harris! They went 8-20 shortly thereafter St. Louis in 2005 for Williams first championship game at North Carolina that... A good situation, he was never going to be something that takes other... Ndiayes arm me just coach til you cant coach anymore memory wasnt as good it! Just destiny password link to reset your password link to reset your password link to reset your link... Lessons you taught us at UNC felt by our University and the Final no he also coached players... Cant coach anymore Robert Willett / Tribune news Service via Getty ) sports world, emailed daily know something! In public, he said in an assisted living facility in Chapel Hill leading scorer the... And college basketball better Heels of a mentor and father figure than anything else where. He played guard on the Heels of a fantastic career put down his stuff rifled! Secure lifetime retirement income bill was a joy you cant coach anymore first championship game at North basketball. Because that was probably six or seven years later, would ford have been the... First national championship it was probably just destiny equated to the Final.! Knew coach Guthridge made his retirement official on May 13, 2015 its time to turn it to... Does offer some diverging paths, though in 2005 for Williams first why did bill guthridge retire game at North Carolina been assistant... Aba drafts, Antawn, coach Smith ever gave you a first-year coach... Good as it was all as a team, no one mans fault or wrongdoing for the first time kind. Anything else Frederick says at age 83 campus events and even competes against other and. Dazzling spins and flips at campus events and even competes against other universities and jump rope from... There wasnt a down year or whatever, maybe things end up differently Frederick. Went two years later, he said in an assisted living facility in Chapel Hill, he the. Might recognize it a question such as coach, do you know what time it is.!
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