Legendary North Carolina coach Roy Williams announced his retirement Thursday catching a lot of people by surprise in the process.
Williams, 70, led the Tar Heels to three NCAA championship (2005, 09, 17) and owns 903 wins as a college basketball head coach, including more than 400 at both UNC and Kansas. Among active coaches, only Dukes Mike Krzyzewski has more NCAA championships (5).
Williams, a 1972 UNC graduate, just concluded his 18th season as the head coach at his alma mater. He led the Tar Heels to a 485-163 record, two other Final Fours, nine ACC regular-season championships and three ACC Tournament crowns. He coached in nine Final Fours in his career.
Like everyone, I was surprised to read todays announcement about Roy Williams retirement, Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski said in a statement.
College basketball is losing one of its greatest coaches and a man who genuinely cares about the game of basketball, and more importantly, the people who play it. Roy has led two iconic programs as a head coach and did so in exemplary fashion. I have the utmost respect for Roy and his family, who represented themselves and their institutions with class, grace and humility. While we were on opposite sides of college basketballs greatest rivalry, we both understood how lucky we were to be part of it and always tried to represent it in the way it deserved. Personally, I will miss competing against him, seeing him at coaches meetings and having the opportunity to discuss how to make our game even better. Roy is a great friend, and our sport was very fortunate to have him as long as it did. We have all benefitted from his longevity in and commitment to coaching. His legacy is secure as one of the greatest coaches in college basketball history.
On behalf of the ACC, we extend a heartfelt congratulations to Roy Williams on a remarkable career, ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips said. His resume of accomplishments speaks for itself. More importantly, the countless lives he positively affected surpasses all of the individual honors and awards. Roy's fingerprints will forever be on the sport of college basketball, and specifically the Atlantic Coast Conference. We wish him, Wanda and his entire family all the best as he begins this next chapter of an amazing life.
Attention has already turned to who will replace Williams at one of college basketballs true blue blood programs. Here are five possibilities:
Hubert Davis: The former UNC star, 50, has been on Williams staff since 2012 and has long been considered a potential heir apparent. A former first-round pick of the Knicks, he bleeds Tar Heel blue and has the basketball knowledge to coach at the highest level. He would fit the mold of recent hires at Michigan (Juwan Howard), Memphis (Penny Hardaway) and Georgetown (Patrick Ewing) in terms of having star alumni coach their old team. However, he is considered a quiet, shy type and its unclear if he would want or be comfortable with the attention that comes from being the head man.
Wes Miller: The UNC-Greeensboro coach, 38, played on the Tar Heel team that won the 2005 NCAA title. He graduated in 2007 with a bachelor's degree in political science and after graduation he wrote a book titled The Road to Blue Heaven about his road to North Carolina and his years playing there. In 10 seasons at UNC-Greensboro, he is 185-134 (.580) with three NCAA Tournament appearances, including this year. The question is: Is he a big enough name to take over such a storied program?
Chris Holtmann: The Ohio State head man turned down Indiana before that school hired Mike Woodson. The Kentucky native, 49, is regarded as one of the best coaches in the business and owns a 201-128 (.611) career record at Gardner-Webb, Butler and Ohio State, with six NCAA Tournament appearances. If he could be persuaded to take it, he could be the answer for a decade or more.
Brad Stevens: The former Butler and current Boston Celtics coach has already been linked to one blue blood opening this offseason at Indiana and he quickly quashed those rumors.
"I tried to say it as clearly as I could and also make sure that people understand that [Indiana] is special to me," Stevens, 44, said last month. Because I dont want to make it sound like its not. But, like I said the other day, Im so grateful to this organization, and to the people here, and for all that theyve done for us.
"Im not a kid anymore. ... Im a 44-year-old Masshole. I swerve around others when Im driving, I eat Dunkin Donuts and I root for the Patriots.
Still, would he consider North Carolina if offered the job? It cant hurt to ask.
Billy Donovan: Billy the Kid, now 55, coached Florida to back-to-back NCAA championships in 2006-7 and has coached in two other Final Fours.
Now the coach of the Chicago Bulls, the 55-year-old Donovan would seem like a long shot to leave the NBA for college, even if the Bulls are 19-27. But again, this is North Carolina. It might be a worth a call.
