Tag: Roy Williams

Hubert Davis one of four UNC coaches to accomplish this feat

There haven’t been many recent coaches in UNC basketball history, but they’ve all enjoyed success. What rare feat has Hubert Davis achieved?

It’s March Madness week, which means tons of excitement and decreased productivity.

Yes, most of us are either in school or working jobs, but that doesn’t stop us from gaining emotional highs during the NCAA Tournament. People fill out their brackets, then watch as their picks progress or brackets are busted by Cinderellas.

After missing the Big Dance last year, UNC is back in this year. The Tar Heels won the ACC Regular Season Title, while falling to rival NC State in the tournament championship.

Not only did North Carolina make the NCAA Tournament, but it also holds a Number One seed – in the West Region. Major props to Hubert Davis and his players for the massive turnaround.

As a result of leading UNC to a top seed, Davis is now just one of four coaches in program history to do so.

Recognize the other coaches on that list? Bill Guthridge advanced North Carolina to the 1998 and 2000 Final Fours, but never won a National Championship.

Dean Smith and Roy Williams aren’t just two of the most legendary coaches in program history, but in all of college basketball.

Smith led UNC to the 1982 and 1983 NCAA Titles, making 11 Final Fours during his 36 years in Chapel Hill. Williams won three titles as the Tar Heels’ head coach – 2005, 2009 and 2017 – while making nine Final Fours in his 18 years leading North Carolina.

Will Hubert be able to turn UNC’s 1-seed into a National Championship?

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North Carolina NCAA tournament history since 1982

How has the UNC basketball program fared in the NCAA Tournament since 1982? We take a look back at each season.

The North Carolina Tar Heels are one of college basketball’s premier programs with six national championships, 20 Final Fours, 28 Elite Eights and 34 Sweet 16 appearances. They are among the winningest college programs of all time and have a history that is almost unmatched.

When you go to North Carolina, playing in the Big Dance is an expectation and most years so is getting to a Sweet 16 and beyond. While there have been some rocky years here and there, UNC has been in the tournament 36 times since the 1982 season. With another tournament looming, we wanted to look back at the Tar Heels’ NCAA Tournament history since ’82 which features Michael Jordan, Vince Carter, Antawn Jamison, Jerry Stackhouse, Rasheed Wallace, Sean May, Raymond Felton, Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson, Marcus Paige, Joel Berry and more.

Here’s a look at how the Tar Heels have done in the tournament since 1982 when Jordan drained the jumper to beat Georgetown to deliver Dean Smith a title in Chapel Hill.

More NCAA Tournament History from the College Wires Network:

Alabama / Aub / Fla / LSU / Tenn. / UGA // Mich. / Mich St. / Ohio St. / Penn St. / Wisc. // Okla. / Texas // ND // USC

LOOK: Roy Williams, Ty Lawson reunite at ACC Tournament

Former UNC basketball head coach Roy Williams reunited with point guard Ty Lawson at the 2024 ACC Tournament.

The family aspect is an important thing for the North Carolina Tar Heels as it’s the root of success for the program. The close-knit bond from players that have played at the university is unmatched.

And on Friday, a star point guard reunited with his former coach.

As Roy Willimas was posing for photos before UNC’s clash with Pitt in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament semifinal, he found former Tar Heels’ guard Ty Lawson. The two reconnected in Washington D.C. sharing a hug and a little chat.

Check out video of the two seeing each other again prior to the game:

Lawson played three seasons at North Carolina, averaging 13.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game in his career. He was an All-ACC Freshman Team member in 2007 and then won the conference’s Player of the year award in 2009, helping lead the Tar Heels to the national championship.

Lawson is a Maryland native, so he’s checking out the game in the DMV and hopefully gets to stay and see the Tar Heels play again on Saturday night.

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Former UNC assistant coach Jerod Haase out at Stanford

Jerod Haase was a longtime Roy Williams assistant (2003-2012) at UNC. His 8-year head coaching stint at Stanford came to an end last week.

From coaching with legendary head coaches in UNC’s storied basketball history, plenty of Tar Heel assistants have since received head coaching opportunities – both in-house and elsewhere.

North Carolina’s current head coach, Hubert Davis, was a longtime Roy Williams understudy. He has UNC, which will play in Saturday’s ACC Championship game against longtime rival NC State, playing like a National Championship contender.

Jerod Haase, another Williams understudy, was an assistant coach in Chapel Hill from 2003-2012. He primarily coached the JV squad, but was part of the coaching staff that led UNC’s 2005 and 2009 National Title-winning teams.

Haase turned his successful stint as a Williams assistant into two head coaching jobs: first at UAB, then at Stanford. Haase led UAB to two wins in the 2015 Big Dance, which Stanford liked and decide to hire him.

As much promise that Haase’s past coaching career delivered, he did not deliver in California.

On Thursday, March 14, after eight seasons leading the Cardinal, Haase was fired.

It’s always tough to see coaches fired, especially when Tar Heel lore is a big part of their past. Haase always seemed like a players’ coach, which makes this news tougher.

If you’ve learned anything from watching sports today, however, it’s that they’re a results-based business. Haase did not produce at Stanford, with the Cardinal’s lone postseason berth being a trip to the NIT in 2017-2018.

Who will be the next man in charge of leading Stanford, the 1942 NCAA Tournament Champions, back to the level of prominence it enjoyed in the late 90’s and early 2000s?

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Social media compares Nick Saban’s retirement to Roy Williams

Social media decided to compare Alabama head coach Nick Saban’s sudden retirement to UNC Basketball’s Roy Williams.

The college football world was shaken up on Wednesday night when it was reported by ESPN that Nick Saban was retiring. Alabama was ousted by Michigan at the Rose Bowl in the College Football Playoff semifinal last week and little did we know that it would be Saban’s last game.

Saban has been a coaching legend throughout his career, winning seven national championships and 11 total SEC titles. After a stint at LSU, Saban joined Alabama in 2007, winning six national championships and having the Crimson Tide as a national powerhouse again.

But the sudden retirement sparks some questions as to why. And it didn’t take long for social media to compare Saban’s retirement to a former North Carolina head coach.

Back in April of 2021, Roy Williams announced his retirement after a first-round exit in the NCAA Tournament which was a shocker to North Carolina fans. Here is what social media was saying about the comparison.

Roy Williams reflects on the late Bob Knight

Former UNC coach Roy Williams reflects on the passing of Bob Knight.

The sports world suffered a major loss Wednesday with the announcement of the death of one of college basketball’s greatest head coaches, Bob Knight.

Knight, who was 83, was instrumental in advancing the game of basketball, with a historic career stamped for the rest of time. Knight ended his collegiate coaching career with a record of 902-371, winning three national championships.

Knight was the mentor to many coaches, including former UNC head coach [autotag]Roy Williams[/autotag], who shared his thoughts on the legendary coach passing in a statement released by the school.

“Coach (Dean) Smith was certainly my mentor, but the next guy for me was Bob Knight. I played golf with him, watched baseball with him, watched his practices my first year as a head coach, but more importantly I appreciated the help he gave me in my coaching career. He acted like I was one of his guys and made me so much better. He was one of my heroes and I will be forever grateful to him.”

Knight will truly be missed, and Tar Heel Wire sends our condolences to the family and loved ones.

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Micah Shrewsberry, Kebba Njie, Matt Zona speak during ACC Tipoff

Hear from a team that figures to have many challenges this season.

Notre Dame is facing a challenging season with a new face and a mostly new roster. [autotag]Micah Shrewsberry[/autotag] fielded questions about that during the ACC Tipoff on Oct. 25 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Alongside him were [autotag]Kebba Njie[/autotag], a transfer who came over with Shrewsberry from Penn State, and [autotag]Matt Zona[/autotag], one of the few returnees on this year’s Irish.

Here is what they had to say:

Sooners LB Danny Stutsman named to Nagurski Award watch list

Oklahoma Sooners linebacker Danny Stutsman was named to the Nagurski Award watch list.

As fall camp gets ready to ramp up, watch list season begins in the world of college football awards.

This morning, Oklahoma linebacker Danny Stutsman was named to the Nagurski Award watch list. Named after hall of famer Bronco Nagurski, the award is given to the best defensive player in the country.

After leading the Big 12 in tackles in 2022, the expectations are high for Stutsman in year two under Venables. He’s taken on a bigger leadership role and is looking to take his game to the next level in 2023.

Two Oklahoma Sooners have taken home the Nagurski, which has been in existence since 1993. [autotag]Roy Williams[/autotag] won it in 2001, and [autotag]Derrick Strait[/autotag] in 2003. Williams was the last safety to win the award, and Strait the last cornerback to take home the trophy. The only other defensive backs to win the Nagurski were Charles Woodson and Champ Bailey back in 1997 and 1998.

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Twitter reacts to UNC and Kansas setting a home-and-home series

Here’s how Twitter reacted to the UNC basketball program announcing a home-and-home with Kansas.

North Carolina delivered some blockbuster news, announcing that they would play Kansas in the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons.

The two programs agreed on a two-year slate of games, each taking a turn to play host. The announcement dropped right before noon, giving fans a mouthful of what-ifs to bring to the lunch conversation.
In a press release by the school, Men’s basketball coach Hubert Davis explained the impact these games will have.

“These two games should be exciting for players and coaches on both teams and a win for fans of college basketball,” says Davis. “It is an opportunity for two great programs to play in each other’s home arenas, which are among the best and most historic in our game.”

Unsurprisingly, the news brought quite the reaction, with fans excitedly oozing through their keyboards. These two programs are rich in basketball history, and both have a deep connection tied to legendary coach Roy Williams.

Let us look at how Twitter reacted to this groundbreaking announcement.

LOOK: Roy Williams reunites with former UNC basketball players on golf course

Former UNC basketball players as well as Roy Williams have reunited on the golf course.

Former UNC basketball head coach Roy Williams is enjoying every bit of retirement. Since he left the game at the end of the 2020-21 season, Williams has been spotted numerous times enjoying the retirement life.

This week was no different.

Former North Carolina forward Deonte Thompson posted a photo on Thursday featuring himself, Williams, Sean May and Antawn Jamison reuniting on the course. All four have played a big role in the history of the program and it’s always nice to see the Carolina Family reunite whenever its members can, even if it’s not on the basketball court.

Williams is known to be an avid golfer, so it’s no surprise to see him on the course. He’s spending his time wisely and pretty much living the dream by playing golf whenever he wants.

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