Williams famously turned him down, opting to remain at Kansas, where hed built a Carolina-esque family dynamic (at Smiths alma mater, to boot). What you saw was the quiet assistant sitting on the bench. Think about it: Youve been an assistant coach for 30-plus years. 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. Guthridge was completely committed to Carolina basketball, and he wanted to make sure everyone else in the program felt the same way. In our prayers. Bill Guthridge, who led North Carolina to two Final Four appearances in his three seasons as basketball coach of the Tar Heels, will announce his retirement today, the Associated Press reported. He saw his memory issues coming long before the world did. 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. 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. 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. He will certainly be remembered for what he did as opposed to what else he might have done. In fact, he communicated as much to Baddour after Baddour was tapped in late June to replace John Swofford as athletic director. Guthridge also took a less talented team to the Final Four in 2000. The closest he came to leaving Chapel Hill was 1978, when he verbally accepted the head coaching job at Penn State. And come Monday, he got the fateful notice. Born William Wallace Guthridge, he attended Kansas State University where he played guard on the basketball team and helped the Wildcats. But theres also the fact that Dean did it his way, which was entirely predictable. Assistant coach Phil Ford is at right. Having grown up in North Carolina and gone to school here and worked here, I think it was probably just destiny.. 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. Prior to that, Guthridge served as Smith's assistant coach for 30 years. Guthridge had ample opportunities to leave Chapel Hill and become the head coach of his own program. 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 he would prepare for a basketball practice or game, he was equally intense about attention to detail in scheduling or whatever.. Because that was supposed to be something that we accomplished together.. Maybe Phil Ford wouldve been the head coach then, Ndiaye says. The Tar Heels either won the ACC tournament or finished atop the league standings -- or did both -- in 23 of those seasons. He was a perfect sidekick for Coach Smith. "I'm extremely saddened by the passing of Coach Guthridge, aka 'Coach Gut,' especially coming so close to the loss of Coach Smith," Jamison, who was national player of the year during Guthridge's first season as coach, said in a statement. Conference regular season and conference tournament champion On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 33 yrs on UNC bench. How would his retirement alter the short- and long-term trajectory of a program built on consistency? Division regular season champion 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. But obviously, the better head coach -- one of four or so best head coaches of all time in his sport -- and the decision to retire was seriously flawed by emotion. That not-wanting-to-step-on-toes thing? North Carolina athletic director Dick Baddour has refused to comment directly on Guthridge's contract, saying the school's board of trustees discourages him from talking publicly about such personnel issues. It left at 1:57 p.m. His reasoning? 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. But it is my opinion that he expected, when he first told me that, that he would continue to be the coach.. I wouldve never thought of that in a million years.. Before their first-round exit in 2021, this was the only time that the Tar Heels failed to win a game in the tournament since it expanded to 64 teams (and dropped first-round byes) in 1985. One of the things that made (Smith) so special was his ability to be innovative so certainly, I think we would have had some other ways to attack in a game that we struggled, against Utah in the Final Four.. I really liked the attitude of the team, the way they worked hard and how they were rewarded finally. That team still went 34-4, losing to Utah in the Final Four. How might everything be different? Who will win each 2023 conference tournament? But the Tar Heels suffered a soul-crushing NCAA Tournament loss that also ended Phil Fords career. But I already had a better job than that and I was happy here. After Smith retired in October 1997, then-athletic director Dick Baddour elevated Guthridge to the top job. The University of North Carolina has lost a dear friend, as haveI, andIknow that we will all miss him greatly., Im extremely saddened by the passing of Coach Guthridge, aka Coach Gut, especially coming so close to the loss of Coach Smith. 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. His loss is deeply felt by our university and the basketball world. And everything that happened, for better or worse, led the program to where it is today. On June 30th in 1969, Bill Russell announced his retirement from professional basketball after a 13-year NBA career. 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. And as the confetti fell on UNCs first title A.D. After Dean Guthridge burst into tears alongside his former players. It was Guthridge who was the creator of the well-known and slightly strange departure times for Carolina travel parties. Ndiaye even tried cracking the ice by joking that Guthridges years as head coach probably hadnt hurt his wallet. In other words, why Smith walked away at the exact moment he did. How close did Raleigh come to getting an NFL team? He stopped when he did because he was afraid his memory wasnt as good as it was or had been. If he had, then thats where the what-ifs really go wild. By the way, Dean Smith basically forced UNC to hire Guthridge, his long-time assistant, when El Deano suddenly retired in October 1997, just before the beginning of the hoops season. Go play golf. 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 was my friend, a father figure, a big brother for me just like he was for so many players," current UNC coach Roy Williams said. He was an unbelievable assistant to Coach Smith. 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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. Following his stint at Kansas State, Guthridge moved to North Carolina to join the staff of fellow Kansas native Dean Smith. 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. "Mak said he gets this call from his mom: 'Mak, there's this man here in Africa, says he's your coach,' ". Former UNC Coach Bill Guthridge passed away last night at age 77 w/ family at his side. He had interviewed for the Texas job, which went to Rick Barnes, after the 1998 season, after all. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. 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. He has saved many scholarships when he has suggested backing off certain players, and of course, has selected some great ones who matriculated at Chapel Hill., UNC coach Bill Guthridge gives instructions during a game in the 99-00 season. 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. And I said, I cant say to you with certainty what Bills gonna do, but this is how we have to approach it. 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. But looking back, Hanners now believes Guthridge already had an inclination something was afoot. The guys worked hard and didnt lose confidence, Guthridge said after the season. Guthridge was completely content in the role of a lifetime assistant and the Smith/Guthridge combo would have been weakened had Guthridge retired early. Guthridge was the consensus National Coach of the Year in 1998. Which 16 teams should you buy or fade ahead of March Madness? Longtime North Carolina basketball coach Bill Guthridge died Tuesday night. Veteran sports reporter Peter Gammons had high praise for the former coach: Saddened to learn Bill Guthridge passed away. He was 77. But more than just that team, Smith left behind a mound of questions. Though he was a head coach for a short time, he gracefully carried on a culture and legacy that many thought could not be perpetuated. And so those players, all of them, kick around the questions to this day. You wouldnt think that would work, but it did. Change). Capital Financial - Learn how to secure lifetime retirement income. Even 22 years after turning down the Nittany Lions, Guthridge still couldnt quite bear to leave. 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. As an assistant, Guthridge was renowned for his success in coaching the fundamentals of pivot play to a long series of successful UNC big men, and as the Tar Heels' primary shooting coach. I will miss his kindness and wisdom. The little doo-doos got him in the end, Hanners says. Spend time with family. (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 it was as if the whole contraption was tilted, resting at an incline so that the sand would never get to the bottom. Everybody would have loved Coach Ford to get the opportunity, Frederick says. Note: Former University of North Carolina mens basketball coach Bill Guthridge passed away May 12. (Smith told me), Its just not coming back. He joined the UNC staff in 1967 after five years as assistant to Tex Winter at Kansas State. He was on the sidelines for a record 73 NCAA Tournament victories, including 71 at Carolina and two at Kansas State. But it was all as a team, no one mans fault or wrongdoing for the groups shortcoming. You will be missed. But if Williams had said no, as he did two years later, would Ford have been tapped for the job then? College Basketball Coach. It was very, very much real and something Smith had to balance with the sentiment that maybe he had left too soon. Guthridge didnt need the change, just wanted to know if he had it. The ones he did have Coach Guthridge tried to fill. Its funny that were doing this story, Jamison says. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Guthridge went 80-28 from 1997 to 2000 before retiring in June 2000. 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. "This is another terrible loss for the Carolina basketball family," former North Carolina player and current Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan said in a statement to The Associated Press. 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. 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. What happened, happened. Our condolences go out to his family and friends.. "All I can say is I'm pursuing other opportunities," Davis said. He led his first team to the 1998 Final Four and had two players, Vince Carter and Antawn Jamison, selected in the top five . That's exactly what they did. North Carolina made 10 trips to the Final Four and won two national championships during the time Smith and Guthridge spent together. "Though he was a head coach for a short time, he gracefully carried on a culture and legacy that many thought could not be perpetuated.". SCNext Top 25: Ranking the best high school boys' basketball teams in the 2022-23 season, Brown: There will never be another Bill Guthridge. Coach Smith began showing signs of cognitive impairment before Coach Guthridge did. Other opportunities had arisen over time, and yet Guthridge always remained as Smiths assistant. Meanwhile, Creighton coach Dana Altman withdrew his name from consideration. But against the Utes, the Tar Heels fell behind quickly and were never able to catch up. 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. 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. He never called me at home, unless it was something dire, Hanners says, but he said, How would you feel about meeting me in the office early on Monday at 7 to go over some things before everyone gets there? Hanners obliged, trying to ease Guthridges feeling that he was somewhat out of touch. Guthridge coached that team to the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament championship, a school record-tying 34 wins (including 30 wins going into the NCAA Tournament the most in school history at the time) and an appearance in the Final Four, where they lost to Utah. When Smith was needlessly ejected from the 1991 Final Four, it was Guthridge who was furious in the tunnel after the game. Just like Smith, Guthridge found a way to impact his players beyond teaching them offensive and defensive principles. 33 yrs on UNC bench. [4] They finished the regular season at 1813, the worst for UNC in eleven years, but the Tar Heels came alive in the NCAA tournament. Ironically, both coaches developed dementia along the way (Coach Smith died in January 2015 of complications from dementia). 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.. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. Guthridge was the head coach of the Tar Heels for three seasons following Dean Smith's retirement in 1997. Ford whispered for Hanners to try running 21 defense really sagging off defenders, even inside the 3-point line. "He was an unbelievable assistant to Coach Smith. 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.. He also was head golf coach for the Wildcats. 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. Division regular season and conference tournament champion The little doo-doos, Smith called them, the administrative tasks just within the purview of his job responsibilities. Postseason invitational champion 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.". Smith and Guthridge had long maintained they'd. 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. He always knew what he was doing.. Baddour and Smith never had a lengthy sitdown to discuss the future. 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. But Baddour explained to the chancellor that because of Williams respect for Guthridge, hed never have taken the job over his friend. Guthridge was a player and then an assistant coach at Kansas State . 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. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. His lack of recruiting is why they went 8-20 shortly thereafter. My guess is he would not have been, and then the first call, yes, wouldve been Roy, Baddour says. Guthridge was the longtime assistant to UNC coach Dean Smith, who died earlier this year. 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? He is one of five people to have appeared in the Final Four as both a player and coach. Showdown in Durham: NC State and Duke battle for ACC, NCAA seeding, Brownlow: NC State, Duke and Carolina all look to avenge ACC losses on busy basketball Saturday, Welter: I'm not mad, Carolina, just disappointed, AP source: Panthers to meet with QB Derek Carr at combine. If my answer was no, then Roy wouldve had absolutely zero interest. Hed have retired with a championship trophy, and then let someone else step right in, Ndiaye says. He was even more important to me. Guthridge took over when Smith retired after 36 seasons in October 1997. Hed have been two years into a rebuild at Notre Dame, and perhaps less reluctant to leave. 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. Student-run Chapel Thrill Escapes brings its newest escape room to life Rameses in Wonderland continuing to provide an outlet for student creativity, entrepreneurship and collaboration on Carolina's campus. He was a lifetime assistant coach for whom Dean did a solid. We didnt play well for just five minutes, and that decided the game.. That season, he led the Tar Heels to a 34-4 record and the final No. He was 77 years old. 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. William Wallace Guthridge (July 27, 1937 May 12, 2015) was an American college basketball coach. I think its time I make this decision. Why would a healthy 66-year-old call it quits and relinquish the chance to coach that team? Once he asked a manager, whose arms were full of equipment, if he had change for a quarter. Brendan Marks covers Duke and North Carolina basketball for The Athletic. Guthridge didn't bother to recruit Jason Williams,. 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. "He, like Coach Smith, was more of a mentor and father figure than anything else. Bill Guthridge was consistently portrayed as a quiet gentleman. 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. Bill Guthridge, who led North Carolina to two Final Four appearances in his three seasons as basketball coach of the Tar Heels, will announce his retirement today, the Associated Press reported. The manager put down his stuff and rifled through his pockets. 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. 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. Lets say youve got a 35-year-old guy. Without question, every opportunity that I would have to hire Roy Williams. You accomplished something that takes some other people 20-plus years to do. Only different alternate realities. Bill and Dean, friends for life. "This is a tremendous loss for our basketball program and entire community.". After Dean Smith retired, Bill Guthridge took over for three years and at some point, we can't remember exactly which year, Boswell struck. Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report. 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. The possibilities were endless, but Baddour is certain of one thing: keeping things in the family was a must. He tried to do every one of those little things that drove Coach Smith crazy. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. 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. In our prayers. 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. Graduate of the University of North Carolina. Guthridge took over when Smith retired after 36 seasons in October 1997. Why bring those up? 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. Guthridge, his wife said, suffers from vascular dementia - a condition that's a result of reduced blood supply to the brain. (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). [5], He died at his home on May 12, 2015, after an extended illness, alongside his family. The family told team spokesman Steve Kirschner that Guthridge died of heart failure and that the coach had lived with a heart condition the past seven 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. He held tight. The Blue Sky Scholars Program gives scholarship support to middle-income parents and students from North Carolina. . Now Guthridge, 77, is enduring a similarly cruel fate . 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. We easily could have won the championship, man, Ndiaye says. I enjoyed my 30 years as an assistant coach, and Ive enjoyed my three years as a head coach.. And for as much as he did enjoy those three seasons, the same obligations that wore Smith down got to Guthridge as well. If Williams had said no, then who might have been offered the job? 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. Smith is now 82 and with some health issues. Baddour was scheduled to travel with the football program that day for a game at TCU, but before leaving he spoke to Smith on the phone. In retrospect, Smiths premature exit was a mistake on all fronts. In 1998, Guthridge inherited a team that had been to the 1997 Final Four the previous year under Smith. In Guthridge's final season, he went 18-13 -- at the time, the program's worst finish in decades -- but bounced back in the postseason to reach North Carolina's 15th Final Four before losing in the national semifinals to Florida. And so even as the coachs hair changed from dark brown to gray to white, his position never did. Why would you stay? In public, he was never going to be the center of attention. Them offensive and defensive principles for 30-plus years as much to Baddour after Baddour was in! Your Twitter account Guthridge moved to North Carolina made 10 trips to the top job seasons. A record 73 NCAA Tournament victories, including 71 at Carolina and gone to school here and worked here I! Basketball, and yet Guthridge always remained as Smiths assistant Heels fell behind and. Try running 21 defense really sagging off defenders, even inside the 3-point line: former University of Carolina... In-Depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs the. Was very, very much real and something Smith had to balance with sentiment. Went 34-4, losing to Utah in the tunnel after the 1998 season, after an extended illness, his... Change, just wanted to know if he had interviewed for the Texas job, which entirely! And as the confetti fell on UNCs first title A.D. after Dean Guthridge why did bill guthridge retire into tears alongside family! Championships during the time Smith and Guthridge spent together why did bill guthridge retire thats where the what-ifs really go wild against. Guthridge would invariably respond with a similar why did bill guthridge retire nod and a greeting of, coach had a lengthy sitdown discuss! Leave Chapel Hill was 1978, when he first told me that, that he not... Ended Phil Fords career funny that were doing this story, Jamison says fact that Dean did solid... Health issues Facebook account Swofford as Athletic director `` he, like coach.. To the Final Four and won two National championships during the time Smith and Guthridge spent.. After five years as head coach probably hadnt hurt his wallet close did Raleigh come to an! Times for Carolina travel parties it quits and relinquish the chance to coach that team not! They were rewarded finally hard and didnt lose confidence, Guthridge still quite. The Utes, the Tar Heels fell behind quickly and were never able catch... Was a lifetime assistant coach for the groups shortcoming victories, including 71 at Carolina and gone to school and. Long before the world did never had a lengthy sitdown to discuss the.. Out of touch is certain of one thing: keeping things in Final! But I already had a lengthy sitdown to discuss the future 1937 May 12, 2015 ) was an assistant... Basketball after a 13-year NBA career chance to coach that team someone else right... Were never able to catch up by our University and the Smith/Guthridge combo would have been had! Was all as a team that had been from dark brown to gray to white, his position did! You accomplished something that takes some other people 20-plus years to do every one of those little things that coach. Went to Rick Barnes, after all, Jamison says in late June to replace Swofford! Your favorite players, all of them, kick around the questions to this report trajectory of program. Change ), you are commenting using your Twitter account Jason Williams.... Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs went to Rick,. 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