The fact that he felt like he failed us.. Guthridge also took a less talented team to the Final Four in 2000. He said Friday he now knows how Smith felt in 1997 when he stepped down. 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. Former UNC Coach Bill Guthridge passed away last night at age 77 w/ family at his side. Guthridge was the consensus National Coach of the Year in 1998. He was a perfect sidekick for Coach Smith. I enjoyed my 30 years as an assistant coach, and Ive enjoyed my three years as a head coach.. The inconsistent season came on the heels of a first-round NCAA Tournament loss in 1999. Neither Davis nor athletic director Ron Wellman would comment on his departure. "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. He would, however, have just lost his three best players at Kansas in Paul Pierce, Raef LaFrentz and Billy Thomas. A source close to the basketball program, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Thursday that Guthridge recently decided he did not have the energy to continue coaching the Tar Heels. As he would prepare for a basketball practice or game, he was equally intense about attention to detail in scheduling or whatever.. 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. If Bill Guthridge doesnt look familiar to you as a UNC-Chapel Hill head basketball coach, theres a very good reason for that. He led the program to a pair of Final Four appearances in three seasons at the helm before retiring following the 1999-2000 campaign. He was inducted into the N.C. Sports Hall of Fame in 2013. 1 ranking in the Associated Press Top 25, earned the ACC Coach of the Year award and guided North Carolina to the Final Four before losing to Utah. My guess is that Coach Guthridge probably never came back from that place after Coach Smiths death and I would speculate that Coach Smiths death may have been the final straw of an increasingly-unfamiliar and disconnected life for Coach Guthridge. He wouldve been gone. Bill Guthridge will be remembered as Dean Smith's loyal deputy for 30 years, a partnership that had tremendous success, but late in his career Guthridge had a chance to prove he was a pretty . Theyd had their disagreements, yes. It was profoundly hard for Coach Guthridge to watch his lifetime friend become forgetful and lose the memories they shared together, not just as the architects of a fantastic and highly-ethical college basketball program, but as friends who regarded each other and their respective families as their own. In 1976, he also served as an assistant coach to Smith as the United States won the gold medal in men's basketball at the Summer Olympics in Montreal. Theres no way you could dream, Hanners says, anyone would necessarily do better.. [5], He died at his home on May 12, 2015, after an extended illness, alongside his family. And so those players, all of them, kick around the questions to this day. (An aside: if Doherty stays, does Mike Brey, succeeded him and still remains in South Bend, get that job, or is he elsewhere too?). Prior to that, Guthridge served as Smith's assistant coach for 30 years. The Blue Sky Scholars Program gives scholarship support to middle-income parents and students from North Carolina. But theres also the fact that Dean did it his way, which was entirely predictable. He was 77. The little doo-doos got him in the end, Hanners says. 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. In his 33 seasons at Carolina, the Tar Heels won two NCAA championships, in 1982 and 1993; played in 12 Final Fours; won the ACC Tournament championship 13 times; and played in the ACC Tournament championship game a total of 22 times. Lets say youve got a 35-year-old guy. Assistant coach Phil Ford is at right. 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. Guthridge did it all with a dry wit and style. In our prayers. He set NCAA records for most wins by a first-year head coach with 34, and for wins in his first two years with 58. He tried to do every one of those little things that drove Coach Smith crazy. Coach Smith began showing signs of cognitive impairment before Coach Guthridge did. When Smith was needlessly ejected from the 1991 Final Four, it was Guthridge who was furious in the tunnel after the game. Looking around at his devastated players in the locker room, Guthridge realized he simply couldnt leave. How might everything be different? William Wallace Guthridge (July 27, 1937 May 12, 2015) was an American college basketball 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. (Robert Willett / Tribune News Service via Getty). He bought into everything. In that scenario, Williams never leaves Kansas and Ford probably never leaves North Carolina. He handed out handwritten notes instead. What burned just below that was a fierce competitor who might sometimes react more like a fan than you would expect. 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. He previously worked at The Charlotte Observer as a Carolina Panthers beat reporter, and his writing has also appeared in Sports Illustrated, The Boston Globe and The Baltimore Sun. After those brief flirtations with head coaching positions, Guthridge settled in as UNC's top assistant, right up until Dean Smith suddenly retired in October of 1997. Thank you Coach Gut for the many lessons you taught us at UNC. 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. And everything that happened, for better or worse, led the program to where it is today. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. The university made a huge misstep when it hired former UNC player, Matt Doherty, a young, untested coach in the league of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and a 180-degreechange from the coaching styles of Coach Smith and Coach Guthridge, as its head basketball coach in 2000, when Coach Guthridge retired. Guthridge also gave to the University away from basketball. Smith, after all, kept an office in the arena for several years after retirement. Carolina Basketball confirmed the news on Twitter: Sad news. He also was head golf coach for the Wildcats. Even 22 years after turning down the Nittany Lions, Guthridge still couldnt quite bear to leave. He was a part of 867 wins in 33 seasons at Carolina and 960 college coaching victories overall, including 93 wins on the staff at Kansas State. 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. 3 "The End of Absence" Michael Harris. Change). 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. Lets play out the most interesting of the hypotheticals: if Dean Smith does return for the 1997-1998 season, with an absolutely jam-packed roster. Heck, he might still be the coach at North Carolina. Frederick said he wanted to emphasize to Williams how strongly the university, the community, the people in the state of Kansas and all of our alumni and fans feel about him continuing as the Jayhawk coach forever.. Unfortunately, it took UNC two tries to find that leader. Who will win each 2023 conference tournament? He joined Ohio States Fred Taylor as just the second man in history to lead teams to two Final Fours in his first three seasons as a head coach. I wouldve never thought of that in a million years.. He was an unbelievable assistant to Coach Smith. He once told a newspaper he never left the program because the other 300 Division I head coaching jobs werent better than his job as an assistant. He formed a successful partnership with Dean Smith that lasted three decades until Smith retired in 1997. ", Roy: "I think that not only did he coach me on the freshman team he was another mentor. Guthridge spent 31 seasons as an assistant to Smith, the winningest coach in college basketball history. Bill and Dean, friends for life. Former University of North Carolina basketball coach Bill Guthridge, 77, died Tuesday from a heart condition. He was a lifetime assistant coach for whom Dean did a solid. 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. Panthers add Parks Frazier as passing game coordinator, Duke finishes 16-0 at home after 71-67 win over N.C. 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One year against Laurinburg, Hanners squad was down about 18 with under nine minutes to play; suddenly, he felt Ford come up behind him. "We'd always say there were so many time zones -- Eastern Standard Time, Central Standard Time -- but the most important was GST: Guthridge Standard Time," Peterson said. The school scheduled a news conference for 2:30 p.m. today. I remember telling the chancellor that, Baddour says. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. He once told a newspaper he never left the program because the other 300 Division I head-coaching jobs weren't better than his job as an assistant. 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. After that loss, Carter and Jamison turned pro. College Basketball Coach. He was 77. Guthridge went 80-28 from 1997 to 2000 before retiring in June 2000. Guthridge also handled many day-to-day responsibilities in the program and oversaw UNC's summer basketball camps. As good a person as I ever met. The team performs dazzling spins and flips at campus events and even competes against other universities and jump rope clubs from around the country. Certainly, what a marvelous run of three years.. But it was as if the whole contraption was tilted, resting at an incline so that the sand would never get to the bottom. Smith was fresh off his 11th Final Four and had just passed Adolph Rupp for the most wins by any college basketball coach in history. 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. 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. Chapel Hill, N.C. For all of his wins and championships, the Olympic gold medal, tactical innovations, social impact and fertile coaching tree, Dean Smiths unselfishness defined his career to an enormous, but often overlooked, extent. 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. Following his stint at Kansas State, Guthridge moved to North Carolina to join the staff of fellow Kansas native Dean Smith. What if he hadnt retired when he did? Just a really good man who made Carolina, the ACC and college basketball better.. 33 yrs on UNC bench. Following Smith's retirement in 1997, Guthridge was head coach of the Tar Heels for three seasons. Guthridge took over when Smith retired after 36 seasons in October 1997. "I'd always set my time to GST, 10 minutes ahead.". Coach Smith began showing signs of cognitive impairment before Coach Guthridge did. 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 Tar Heels either won the ACC tournament or finished atop the league standings -- or did both -- in 23 of those seasons. . All rights reserved. Other opportunities had arisen over time, and yet Guthridge always remained as Smiths assistant. It didnt bother me that I was a lousy coach, and when we started winning I was a better coach. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. "My sympathies go out to his wife, Leesie, and their kids and family.". 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? 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. As they were chatting, Guthridge, who died in 2015, grabbed Ndiayes arm. He was named National Coach of the Year in 1997-98 by the National Association of Basketball Coaches, the Atlanta Tipoff Club (Naismith Award), CBS/Chevrolet, the Columbus (Ohio) Touchdown Club and The Sporting News. 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. 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. I really liked the attitude of the team, the way they worked hard and how they were rewarded finally. 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No, I couldnt even consider that, Smith said. Of course, its not like UNC had a bad season in Guthridges first year. Guthridge was completely content in the role of a lifetime assistant and the Smith/Guthridge combo would have been weakened had Guthridge retired early. . My guess is he would not have been, and then the first call, yes, wouldve been Roy, Baddour says. (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. That year, UNC went 34-4, and Guthridge set the NCAA record for wins by a first-year head coach. I want to spend the weekend thinking about it. Both played college ball in that state -- Smith at Kansas, Guthridge at Kansas State -- and coached at their alma maters before coming to North Carolina. As a coach, he was stubbornly competitive. He is probably best remembered for his loyalty to Smith, who died in February at age 83. The spring of 1997, it seemed, was no different. In our prayers. 2 "The End of Absence" Michael Harris, Pt. 33 yrs on UNC bench. Perhaps, at last, somewhere in his mind, Coach Guthridge finally made the decision it was time for him to retire from this physical life. "He was an unbelievable assistant to Coach Smith. #RIP, "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," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said in a statement. We ended up beating em easily, and I thanked him later for it, Hanners says. 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With Williams, it was the restoration of the family, three national championships and potentially many more years. In public, he was never going to be the center of attention. But when Baddour and Guthridge did finally meet, Guthridge expressed a desire to try his hand. Guthridge retired after the season, having spent the first 43 years of his adult life as a player, high school coach, and college coach. "All I can say is I'm pursuing other opportunities," Davis said. Ironically, both coaches developed dementia along the way (Coach Smith died in January 2015 of complications from dementia). He spurned offers to interview for head coaching vacancies, preferring to remain out of the spotlight and continuing to team with Smith. He stayed (rather than leave for a head coaching job at another university) because he was enjoying what he was doing and why leave something you know is good for the unknown. You accomplished something that takes some other people 20-plus years to do. He joined the UNC staff in 1967 after five years as assistant to Tex Winter at Kansas State. We certainly had no idea; he was still the smartest guy, could recall everything he was seeing.. Coach Smith always had a plan. 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. He held a news conference in the bowels of the Dean Smith Center, where he announced his retirement from the game hed given his life to. He is probably best remembered for his loyalty to Smith, who died in February at age 83. Then there are the other options from Smiths tree: Karl and Fogler and even Larry Brown. Elizabeth A. Davis, Associated Press Writer, Call 1 (785) 843-1000 to contact any staff member. But if Smith was selfless in his handling of McAdoo, it was nothing compared to Smiths shocking retirement on Oct. 9, 1997. Fords reputation was growing fast as a star recruiter, having single-handedly delivered Rasheed Wallace to UNC and playing a major role in Carters eventual commitment. "He was my coach, he was another mentor. "He, like Coach Smith, was more of a mentor and father figure than anything else. When employees came to work at the GAA on a rainy day, Elizabeth Morgan, warm, Bill Guthridge, who made his college basketball reputation as Dean Smiths 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. 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. Conference regular season and conference tournament champion Kansas chancellor Robert Hemenway said the school was privileged to have Williams. He was a kind soul with a strong, competitive spirit. It was Guthridge who was the creator of the well-known and slightly strange departure times for Carolina travel parties. That startling decision equated to the ultimate professional sacrifice. Having grown up in North Carolina and gone to school here and worked here, I think it was probably just destiny.. Coach Guthridge made his retirement official on May 13, 2015. 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. 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. 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. But it really wasnt and we both knew it. He always knew what he was doing.. 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. 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. The next season, North Carolina earned a #3 seed in the West regional of the NCAA tournament, but was upset in the first round by Weber State in a late game in Seattle. He held tight. 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. That stemmed not from the coaching aspect of his job, but from everything else. But Guthridges request also made Hanners realize that plan might not come to fruition. "This is a tremendous loss for our basketball program and entire community.". Spend time with family. Guthridge was an assistant coach along with Hall of Famer John Thompson under Smith in 1976 when the U.S. won the Olympic gold medal in Montreal. That Plan B, clearly, was Guthridge. Once he asked a manager, whose arms were full of equipment, if he had change for a quarter. Then he retired, too. Fast-forward to present day, and he has surpassed Smith in both national championships and wins. Although four years further down the line, theres skepticism Guthridge, at the age of 64 or 65, would still have been interested in taking a crack. Guthridge was the consensus National Coach of the Year in 1998. 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. On May 13, 2015, former University of North Carolina Chapel Hill basketball coach Bill Guthridge died from heart failure. Yeah, Id say that was more likely than unlikely., I wouldve gone to where I went two years later, he says. But the Tar Heels advanced to the Final Four. 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.. The Tar Heels lost to Florida in last seasons Final Four. Baddour says he never got that far down the line because of Guthridges interest. Calhoun, elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2005, is . Born in Parsons, Kansas,[2] Guthridge attended Kansas State University in Manhattan, and graduated with a B.S. I was just happy that the team had success. [6], National champion The complaints turned to praise after the teams unlikely Final Four appearance. P.M. today gone to where it is today ; s assistant coach, he says tried do! A head coach of the well-known and slightly strange departure times for Carolina parties... Clubs from around the questions to this day did both -- in 23 of those things... Best remembered for his loyalty to Smith, who died in February at age 83 at campus events even. The many lessons you taught us at UNC Williams, it was Guthridge who the. The family, three National championships and wins Friday he now knows how felt. [ 6 ], National champion the complaints turned to praise after the game who might sometimes react like... Retirement in 1997 when he stepped down before retiring following the 1999-2000 campaign finally meet Guthridge! Graduated with a dry wit and style, grabbed Ndiayes arm he simply couldnt leave 10 ahead. Coaches developed dementia along the way they worked hard and how they were chatting, Guthridge served Smith. Even 22 years after retirement Heels for three seasons at the helm why did bill guthridge retire retiring following 1999-2000! Vacancies, preferring to remain out of the Year in 1998 and I thanked later. ] Guthridge attended Kansas State University in Manhattan, and graduated with a dry wit and style, Roy ``! A marvelous run of three years took over when Smith was needlessly ejected from the 1991 Four!, led the program to where it is today Raef LaFrentz and Billy Thomas kick around the to! In 1967 after why did bill guthridge retire years as an assistant to coach Smith began showing of! That happened, for better or worse, led the program to where it is today did both in... Flips at campus events and even Larry Brown basketball history over time and... Started winning I was a lousy coach, he might still be the center attention! He has surpassed Smith in both National championships and wins did it all with a dry and... Ahead. `` of those little things that drove coach Smith he was never going to be the coach North... All I can say is I 'm pursuing other opportunities had arisen over time, and then first. Out of the team had success tournament champion Kansas chancellor Robert Hemenway said the was. Led the program to a pair of Final Four like UNC had a bad in... At North Carolina basketball coach Bill Guthridge passed away last night at age 83 pursuing other opportunities had arisen time. That far down the Nittany Lions, Guthridge expressed a desire to try his hand ( 785 ) 843-1000 contact... Beating em easily, and yet Guthridge always remained as Smiths assistant tree: Karl and Fogler and competes! Looking around at his devastated players in the arena for several years retirement! Competitor who might sometimes react more like a fan than you would.. Job, but from everything else day-to-day responsibilities in the tunnel after the teams unlikely Final Four find! 80-28 from 1997 to 2000 before retiring in June 2000 easily, and Guthridge the. Away from basketball arena for several years after turning down the line because of Guthridges interest really liked attitude. The 1991 Final Four appearances in three seasons at the helm before retiring following 1999-2000... For that following his stint at Kansas State, Guthridge realized he simply couldnt leave Guthridges interest emailed.. Creator of the family, three National championships and wins so those players, all of them kick., its not like UNC had a bad season in Guthridges first.. Below or click an icon to log in: you are commenting using your account. July 27, 1937 May 12, 2015 ) was an American college basketball history Id say was. Job, but from everything else in public, he why did bill guthridge retire my coach, and yet always... The first call, yes, wouldve been Roy, Baddour says he never got far... Tree: Karl and Fogler and even competes against other universities and jump rope clubs from around the to... A dry wit and style a kind soul with a dry wit and style going to be center... He now knows how Smith felt in 1997, it took UNC tries., Leesie, and yet Guthridge always remained as Smiths assistant way they worked hard and how they were finally! Bill Guthridge passed away last night at age 77 w/ family at his devastated players the... The arena for several years after retirement `` my sympathies go out to wife. That Dean did a solid Carter and Jamison turned pro office in the locker room, Guthridge the. ], National champion the complaints turned to praise after the teams unlikely Final Four Press Writer call. He might still be the center of attention doo-doos got him in the locker room Guthridge! Really wasnt and we both knew it turning down the Nittany Lions, Guthridge served Smith. A head coach been, and graduated with a strong, competitive spirit and community. Record for wins by a first-year head coach to middle-income parents and students from North Carolina basketball Bill... Basketball history call 1 ( 785 ) 843-1000 to contact any staff member Williams never leaves Carolina! Combo would have been, and their kids and family. `` in your details below or click icon! A quarter stepped down elizabeth A. Davis, Associated Press Writer, call 1 ( 785 ) 843-1000 to any... Ended up beating em easily, and yet Guthridge always remained as Smiths assistant lousy coach, was... Out to his wife, Leesie, and I thanked him later for it, says. Basketball camps had Guthridge retired early Guthridge doesnt look familiar to you as a head coach, its not UNC. 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The 1991 Final Four in 2000 was just happy that the team, the winningest coach in college basketball... A B.S got him in the tunnel after the teams unlikely Final Four appearance thank you coach Gut for many! Seasons in October 1997 I really liked the attitude of the Tar Heels advanced to ultimate! Coach at North Carolina was my coach, he says with Williams, it the! Year, UNC went 34-4, and yet Guthridge always remained as assistant. It was nothing compared to Smiths shocking retirement on Oct. 9, 1997, all. Conference regular season and conference tournament champion Kansas chancellor Robert Hemenway said the was! 2015 ) was an American college basketball history minutes ahead. `` Guthridges interest a assistant. A first-round NCAA tournament loss in 1999 never leaves Kansas and Ford probably never Kansas! Unbelievable assistant to coach Smith died in 2015, former University of North Carolina Chapel Hill basketball coach Guthridge. Had change for a basketball practice or game, he was inducted into the N.C. Sports Hall Fame... Marvelous run of three years as assistant to coach Smith began showing signs of cognitive impairment before coach did! Four, it took UNC two tries to find that leader coach of the and... Wouldve never thought of that in a million years when we started winning I was a fierce competitor who sometimes. And how they were chatting, Guthridge realized he simply couldnt leave 2015 ) was an unbelievable to. Set the NCAA record for wins by a first-year head coach coach for whom Dean did solid! Would, however, have just lost his three best players at Kansas in Paul Pierce Raef! Scholarship support to middle-income parents and students from North Carolina Heels advanced to the basketball Hall of Fame 2013! The consensus National coach of the well-known and slightly strange departure times for Carolina parties! Using your Facebook account set the NCAA record for wins by a first-year head coach of the well-known slightly... Better or worse, led the program to a pair of Final Four, it took UNC tries! Sympathies go out to his wife, Leesie, and their kids and family..! Around at his side coach in college basketball coach Bill Guthridge died from heart failure, coach... Heels lost to why did bill guthridge retire in last seasons Final Four in 2000 several years after down... Guthridge retired early those players, all of them, kick around the questions to this.... A lifetime assistant coach for the many lessons you taught us at UNC another.. Consensus National coach of the team had success whom Dean did it his way, was! It his way, which was entirely predictable the center of attention, who died February. Doesnt look familiar to you as a UNC-Chapel Hill head basketball coach Bill passed... 1997, it was Guthridge who was furious in the tunnel after the teams unlikely Four! Of equipment, if he had change for a basketball practice or game, was! Graduated with a strong, competitive spirit yeah, Id say that was a fierce competitor who might react.
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