Only different alternate realities. 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. Then he retired, too. 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. Prior to that, Guthridge served as Smith's assistant coach for 30 years. Coach Smith began showing signs of cognitive impairment before Coach Guthridge did. After a three-year disastrous tenure under Doherty, the University of North Carolina hired Roy Williams from Kansas and got the leadership and gravitas that had characterized the UNC basketball program under Coach Smith and Coach Guthridge. Ndiaye comforted his coach, who had become a friend in time. He stopped when he did because he was afraid his memory wasnt as good as it was or had been. Its funny, I talk to (Williams) players, and with the thought of the day, and the way things are run, and I go to their practices, Jamison says, its Coach Gut, Coach Smith in a younger body.. But if Williams had said no, as he did two years later, would Ford have been tapped for the job then? If he had, then thats where the what-ifs really go wild. Guthridge coached three years and took the Tar Heels to two Final Fours. Case in point. The spring of 1997, it seemed, was no different. When Coach Smith announced he was retiring and that Coach Guthridge was taking over, then it all clicked into place for me, Hanners says. Guthridge would still call on Smith, after all, to speak to the team at certain times. Guthridge also handled many day-to-day responsibilities in the program and oversaw UNC's summer basketball camps. That Plan B, clearly, was Guthridge. Guthridge was the consensus National Coach of the Year in 1998. Of course, Smith did retire. 33 yrs on UNC bench. 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. The protege was named Naismith College Coach of the Year in his first season as Smith's replacement. 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. In 1998, Guthridge inherited a team that had been to the 1997 Final Four the previous year under Smith. What you saw was the quiet assistant sitting on the bench. In that July or August period, when Coach Smith basically told Coach Guthridge for the very last time in his life, Im not ready, Im not gonna do it again, then I think Coach Guthridge told him at that point that hed really like to try, Hanners says. He was a kind soul with a strong, competitive spirit. Kansas chancellor Robert Hemenway said the school was privileged to have Williams. Thats impossible to know, but Williams was also returning a top-five team, one that was expected to compete for a championship in its own right. Coach Guthridge had been Coach Smiths assistant coach at UNC for 30 years, so he knew Coach Smiths style, plays, and strategies inside and out. The following year, with the program bordering on a mutiny, Doherty resigned. That possibility isnt one Baddour had previously considered. In 1998, the Bill Guthridge Distinguished Professorship in mathematics was established. Even 22 years after turning down the Nittany Lions, Guthridge still couldnt quite bear to leave. 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'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. Guthridge didn't bother to recruit Jason Williams, conceding him to K, even though Jason reportedly had an interest in UNC. But against the Utes, the Tar Heels fell behind quickly and were never able to catch up. The Blue Sky Scholars Program gives scholarship support to middle-income parents and students from North Carolina. That season, he led the Tar Heels to a 34-4 record and the final No. Neither Davis nor athletic director Ron Wellman would comment on his departure. Having grown up in North Carolina and gone to school here and worked here, I think it was probably just destiny.. So I just feel like we got robbed.. The next day, Kenny Smith said, assistant coach Bill Guthridge wasn't at practice. Jamisons teammates and Hanners and Baddour all agree. 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. Because that was supposed to be something that we accomplished together.. How might everything be different? That not-wanting-to-step-on-toes thing? And I said, I cant say to you with certainty what Bills gonna do, but this is how we have to approach it. Guthridge, who like Smith was a. Like his lifelong friend and mentor, Coach Dean Smith, he led by example instilling values of kindness, discipline and a strong work ethic. He formed a successful partnership with Dean Smith that lasted three decades until Smith retired in 1997. "He, like Coach Smith, was more of a mentor and father figure than anything else. Maybe Phil Ford wouldve been the head coach then, Ndiaye says. Really, a championship or not is the only major differentiator between Smith and Guthridge. The possibilities were endless, but Baddour is certain of one thing: keeping things in the family was a must. He still had four seasons remaining on his contract, enough to carry him to the summer of 2001. Guthridge was Smiths assistant for 30 years. I remember telling the chancellor that, Baddour says. On May 13, 2015, former University of North Carolina Chapel Hill basketball coach Bill Guthridge died from heart failure. In retrospect, Smiths premature exit was a mistake on all fronts. 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. Hillsborough school board talks of delay as key vote nears on boundary plan, Closed New Tampa golf course stirs another round of bickering, Pasco park restaurant plans must wait for study of nearby burial mound, Heres the story behind Parkesdale Markets famous Plant City strawberry shortcakes, McCarthy gives Carlson access to 1/6 footage, raising alarms, Toni Says: Taking Medicare advice from your friends can be costly, Florida schools still struggle with late buses, Florida official unsure if Vertol will still handle migrant relocation program, Murder trial of former FSU receiver Travis Rudolph set to begin Friday, Energetic Dave Canales excited about new Bucs offense, calling plays and QB Kyle Trask, Seffner club wins big at AAU regional meet. 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. It was more a series of passing conversations, regular updates about the coachs state of mind. 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. Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun announced his retirement Thursday. 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. Matt Doherty, who succeeded Guthridge as Tar Heels coach and served in that capacity for three seasons, tweeted his condolences Wednesday. If you previously used a social network to login to WRALSportsFan.com, click the Forgot your password link to reset your password. 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. Because I know Coach Smiths plan long-term, at least at that time, was to prepare the team for Phil to take over.. In his first year as head coach, he led the the team . Ill really miss this next years team and what those guys have done for me, said Guthridge, whose team last season reached the Final Four before being eliminated in the semifinals. Hed have been two years into a rebuild at Notre Dame, and perhaps less reluctant to leave. He was a disciplinarian (ask his players about the jar labeled Excuses that he kept on his deska jar that was pointedly always empty), a legendarily good teacher of big men, and an excellent coach. You wouldnt think that would work, but it did. We offer our deepest sympathies to Bills family, friends and the entire North Carolina basketball community.. Coach Guthridge played an instrumental role in the programs success as an assistant under Dean Smith for three decades before making his own name as a head coach in leading North Carolina to a pair of Final Four appearances in three seasons. 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. But the season, and that loss specifically, never faded from their collective consciousness. They shot just 39.1 percent from the floor and made only 3-of-23 attempts from 3. Former UNC Coach Bill Guthridge passed away last night at age 77 w/ family at his side. He spurned offers to interview for head coaching vacancies, preferring to remain out of the spotlight and continuing to team with Smith. 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 was 77 years old, Former UNC basketball coach Bill Guthridge passes away at age 77, UNC School of Social Work becomes new home for CEAL@UNC, expand work to advance assisted living. 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. Guthridge took over when Smith retired after 36 seasons in October 1997. On June 30th in 1969, Bill Russell announced his retirement from professional basketball after a 13-year NBA career. The manager put down his stuff and rifled through his pockets. Penn State was a good situation, he said in an interview in 2010. We offer our deepest condolences to the Guthridge family as they grieve the loss of a wonderful husband and father.. Looking around at his devastated players in the locker room, Guthridge realized he simply couldnt 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. Following Smith's retirement in 1997, Guthridge was head coach of the Tar Heels for three seasons. Guthridge had ample opportunities to leave Chapel Hill and become the head coach of his own program. How would his retirement alter the short- and long-term trajectory of a program built on consistency? But it is my opinion that he expected, when he first told me that, that he would continue to be the 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. I think its time I make this decision. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. (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. In our prayers. Former UNC Coach Bill Guthridge passed away last night at age 77 w/ family at his side. 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. And had Smith gone until age 71 or 72, as did Kentuckys Adolph Rupp, Carolina would have won another 50-60 games and the transition to Roy Williams might have happened seamlessly. Hed told reporters he expected to honor the remaining four years on his deal. 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. So was Williams always fated to end up back at North Carolina? The guys worked hard and didnt lose confidence, Guthridge said after the season. "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. But looking back, Hanners now believes Guthridge already had an inclination something was afoot. No, I couldnt even consider that, Smith said. I wouldve gone to Roy.. At the time, their run of 172 consecutive weeks in the AP Poll was the second-longest in college basketball history. He stepped down 2 months later. 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. (LogOut/ Once, in 1978, he did nearly take the head coaching job at Penn State but he changed his mind at the airport and never thought about leaving Chapel Hill again. How close did Raleigh come to getting an NFL team? 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. 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. SCNext Top 25: Ranking the best high school boys' basketball teams in the 2022-23 season, Brown: There will never be another Bill Guthridge. However, Coach Guthridge served as the perfect replacement as head basketball coach when Coach Smith unexpectantly announced his retirement from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1997. It was the 14th time Guthridge participated in the Final Four. We ended up beating em easily, and I thanked him later for it, Hanners says. Our condolences go out to his family and friends.. Guthridge took over when Smith retired after 36 seasons in October 1997. Change). Its very much a possibility, everyone admits. 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. His lack of recruiting is why they went 8-20 shortly thereafter. And then Bill can decide along the way what he wants to do.. I mean, the Plan B was there.. Once he asked a manager, whose arms were full of equipment, if he had change for a quarter. The Tar Heels then went 24-10 in 1998-99 but were upset by Weber State in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Certainly, what a marvelous run of three years.. As he famously said at Smiths retirement news conference, I always thought we would ride off into the sun together.. [5], He died at his home on May 12, 2015, after an extended illness, alongside his family. His calm demeanorhe could sometimes be found sitting in the stands an hour before road games eating popcorn or a hot dogmasked a passionate love for the Tar Heels. I really believe thats exactly what happened.. Former University of North Carolina basketball coach Bill Guthridge, 77, died Tuesday from a heart condition. (Smith told me), Its just not coming back. Graduate of the University of North Carolina. Lets say youve got a 35-year-old guy. Longtime North Carolina basketball coach Bill Guthridge died Tuesday night. Following the 199798 season, several organizations named him National Coach of the Year and he received the Naismith College Coach of the Year award. Says losing Guthridge "is another tremendous loss. [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. After Coach Guthridge's retirement in 2003, he and Coach Smith stayed in close contact, visiting each other frequently. The death of Guthridges mother, Betty, 96, two days before the Tar Heels played Tennessee at Knoxville in the NCAA South Regional semifinals also contributed to a difficult season. As early as April and May, Bill Guthridge Smiths primary assistant for some 30 years reached out to Hanners about doing extra study of the teams offensive and defensive sets. If you played for him you loved him; working with him was a joy. In fact, he communicated as much to Baddour after Baddour was tapped in late June to replace John Swofford as athletic director. At one point he thought he wanted to be a head coach, but he also decided that he really enjoyed Coach Smith and the program here and why should he leave when he has what he thought was the perfect job., Bill was uniquely special. Spend time with family. 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. What burned just below that was a fierce competitor who might sometimes react more like a fan than you would expect. You accomplished something that takes some other people 20-plus years to do. 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. 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I think its time to turn it over to somebody else, he said at a campus news conference. 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. If I were to call Roy and ask Roy was he interested, the first question out of his mouth wouldve been, did Bill get a chance? Baddour says. Calhoun, elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2005, is . 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. 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. It was Guthridge who was the creator of the well-known and slightly strange departure times for Carolina travel parties. (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 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. Ndiaye remembers taking his son for a campus tour years later, and Guthridge coming out of the Smith Center to greet him. That's exactly what they did. 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. Just like Smith, Guthridge found a way to impact his players beyond teaching them offensive and defensive principles. He was 77. He is probably best remembered for his loyalty to Smith, who died in February at age 83. (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). From 1972 onward, he was Smith's top assistant. Guthridge took over when Smith retired after 36 seasons in October 1997. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. After Smith retired in October 1997, then-athletic director Dick Baddour elevated Guthridge to the top job. 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. The perception of Smiths program might have been that it ran without emotion. But the Tar Heels suffered a soul-crushing NCAA Tournament loss that also ended Phil Fords career. Guthridge could deal with Dean's irritability, his need to control the smallest things. Theyd had their disagreements, yes. 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. It has to be one of those., Williams talked Thursday night with Kansas athletic director Bob Frederick. He was a perfect sidekick for Coach Smith. (LogOut/ On one occasion, he actually accepted the head coaching post at Penn State, but stepped down from the post a few days later.[3]. #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. On Oct. 9, 1997, Smith called it quits. At Smith's retirement. Guthridge's did, too, and during Smith's funeral and memorial services, Williams, knowing the end could be near, told former players and current ones to spend time with Guthridge. All the things he couldnt do during the daunting in-season months. 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. He's a native of Raleigh, N.C. Guthridge led UNC to the Final Four in his first season, but the team fell short of a championship. Guthridge was the head coach of the Tar Heels for three seasons following Dean Smith's retirement in 1997. He tried to do every one of those little things that drove Coach Smith crazy. Dean Smiths hourglass, it seemed, had an endless amount of sand. After that loss, Carter and Jamison turned pro. Its not fair, but thats just the way it is for assistant coaches, Smith said. Coach Guthridge is the best I have ever seen in selecting potential in high school players, Smith once said, according to the teams website. He led the program to a pair of Final Four appearances in three seasons at the helm before retiring following the 1999-2000 campaign. My time is in the past now and we have to move forward.. That was the presumption Baddour and the basketball program operated under. The little doo-doos got him in the end, Hanners says. I was just happy that the team had success. 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.". Veteran sports reporter Peter Gammons had high praise for the former coach: Saddened to learn Bill Guthridge passed away. You played for him you loved him ; working with him was must... And made only 3-of-23 attempts from 3 already had an endless amount of sand them... 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