What about Ford? CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Former University of North Carolina head coach Bill Guthridge, who also served 30 years as an assistant to Dean Smith, died Tuesday night at age 77, university officials confirmed on Wednesday. You come up one year, and that year you win the national championship. Lets say youve got a 35-year-old guy. Now Guthridge, 77, is enduring a similarly cruel fate . 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. The guys worked hard and didnt lose confidence, Guthridge said after the season. Brendan Marks covers Duke and North Carolina basketball for The Athletic. At the time, their run of 172 consecutive weeks in the AP Poll was the second-longest in college basketball history. Guthridge took over when Smith retired after 36 seasons in October 1997. He led his first team to the 1998 Final Four and had two players, Vince Carter and Antawn Jamison, selected in the top five . Yeah, Id say that was more likely than unlikely., I wouldve gone to where I went two years later, he says. (LogOut/ He wasnt going to entertain a room full of boosters with behind the scenes stories. Guthridge would still call on Smith, after all, to speak to the team at certain times. Unfortunately, it took UNC two tries to find that leader. Theres no way you could dream, Hanners says, anyone would necessarily do better.. He was even more important to me. But Guthridges request also made Hanners realize that plan might not come to fruition. The perception of Smiths program might have been that it ran without emotion. 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. "You get old." Bill and Dean, friends for life Smith. 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. 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. I think its time to turn it over to somebody else, he said at a campus news conference. Which 16 teams should you buy or fade ahead of March Madness? To combat that fatigue, every summer, Smiths assistant coaches urged him to get out and enjoy life. Watch more top videos, highlights, and B/R original content, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Guthridge also took a less talented team to the Final Four in 2000. I remember telling the chancellor that, Baddour says. He coached 1997-98 National Player of the Year Antawn Jamison 99 and 1998-99 NBA Rookie of the Year Vince Carter 99, both of whom entered the NBA draft after their junior seasons. 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. 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. College Basketball Coach. Making the Final Four is a tremendous accomplishment but its not what you chase. He held tight. Ill just say this, says Dave Hanners, one of Smiths longtime assistants. Baddour and Smith never had a lengthy sitdown to discuss the future. Hed have been a lifer, Hanners says. When it was his turn as head coach, he immediately won an ACC championship and took two teams to the Final Four. So was Williams always fated to end up back at North Carolina? 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. Guthridge joined Smith's staff for the 1967-68 season, starting out as the freshman coach and a co-assistant varsity coach and eventually becoming the Hall of Famer's most trusted assistant. If Bill Guthridge doesnt look familiar to you as a UNC-Chapel Hill head basketball coach, theres a very good reason for that. He is probably best remembered for his loyalty to Smith, who died in February at age 83. Although his individual achievements showcased his ability as a head coach, Guthridge always seemed content working with Smith to develop a top program at North Carolina. In 1998, the Bill Guthridge Distinguished Professorship in mathematics was established. With Williams, it was the restoration of the family, three national championships and potentially many more years. 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. The possibilities were endless, but Baddour is certain of one thing: keeping things in the family was a must. 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. When he retired as head coach in 2000, he knew he wouldnt be able to get through telling his staff about his departure. Born in Parsons, Kansas,[2] Guthridge attended Kansas State University in Manhattan, and graduated with a B.S. 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. Only in Chapel Hill would a two-time Final Four coach, an Atlantic Coast Conference champion, and a consensus National Coach of the Year award winner be best known as an assistant. 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 . Calhoun, elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2005, is . In Williams second season in Chapel Hill, he won his first national championship the one the 97 team witnessed. Guthridge . Its another tremendous loss for our University, our basketball program and our entire community. 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. The protege was named Naismith College Coach of the Year in his first season as Smith's replacement. Im crying because I failed you guys. Guthridge retired after the season, having spent the first 43 years of his adult life as a player, high school coach, and college coach. 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. There is one final thing, though, that seems to be consensus, the one aspect of this entire hypothetical that no one can seem to get over: that the reason there are still enduring questions about what Smith could have accomplished in those extra four seasons is because those are the same questions Smith himself always carried. On June 30th in 1969, Bill Russell announced his retirement from professional basketball after a 13-year NBA career. When Roy Williams declined the opportunity to be Carolinas head coach in 2000, he had to mend more hurt feelings with Guthridge than with Smith. 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. North Carolina made 10 trips to the Final Four and won two national championships during the time Smith and Guthridge spent together. Guthridge didnt need the change, just wanted to know if he had it. He was and has been overshadowed and a bit lost in the shuffle of UNC basketball coaches by his lifelong friend, former UNC head coach Dean Smith (1961 to 1997), and current UNC head coach Roy Williams, who was an assistant coach along with Guthridge at UNC from 1978 to 1988. If my answer was no, then Roy wouldve had absolutely zero interest. 1 team in America. Later during that conversation, I suggested to Smith that he still had a lot of quality coaching mileage left and that maybe he should consider returning for an encore. Hed been given a five-year contract when he took over for Smith, because the administration feared recruits would stop coming if they thought Guthridge could retire at any moment. Think about it: Youve been an assistant coach for 30-plus years. Maybe Phil Ford wouldve been the head coach then, Ndiaye says. Guthridge took over when Smith retired after 36 seasons in October 1997. Dean Smith unexpectedly retired as head basketball coach at North Carolina just two months before the start of the 199798 season, and Guthridge was immediately named his successor. Seeded eighth in the South region, North Carolina upset top-seeded Stanford in the second round and continued to the Final Four, where they lost to Florida. He formed a successful partnership with Dean Smith that lasted three decades until Smith retired in 1997. Thank you Coach Gut for the many lessons you taught us at UNC. Of course, Smith did retire. Ironically, both coaches developed dementia along the way (Coach Smith died in January 2015 of complications from dementia). And as an assistant for Smith for nine seasons, he had both a championship pedigree and a deep understanding of how the program operated. That image of Guthridge is accurate but not complete. He couldnt generate enough energy to get through all of that., Some background: In the years leading up to his retirement specifically every spring after the conclusion of the NCAA Tournament Smith expressed a sense of exhaustion to the people around him. Guthridge coached North Carolina to the Final Four in his first season before losing to Utah. (LogOut/ But Guthridge, who died Tuesday at 77 of heart failure, was not just one of the best college basketball coaches of all time, he was an unfailingly decent man who displayed a rare degree of. How would his retirement alter the short- and long-term trajectory of a program built on consistency? He spurned offers to interview for head coaching vacancies, preferring to remain out of the spotlight and continuing to team with Smith. He won more games than any college head coach in history after just two seasons and tied N.C. States Everett Case for most coaching victories after three years. A longtime assistant to the legendary Dean Smith, he shall be remembered for his three seasons as head coach of the University of North Carolina Tar Heels. Bill and Dean, friends for life. #RIP. He has a keen sense of which ones will be very good players and which ones may be overrated. He needed to hear that from Guthridge. 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. 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. Former UNC Coach Bill Guthridge passed away last night at age 77 w/ family at his side. Because I know Coach Smiths plan long-term, at least at that time, was to prepare the team for Phil to take over.. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. But when Guthridge retired, Williamsthen playing with the Seattle Sonicsmade the effort to find a commercial flight to Chapel . 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. "All I can say is I'm pursuing other opportunities," Davis said. 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. 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. He had recently been in an assisted living facility in Chapel Hill. Why bring those up? He was a perfect sidekick for Coach Smith. 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. I dont think he went in that summer thinking, Im not gonna be the basketball coach by fall, Baddour says. (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 . That stemmed not from the coaching aspect of his job, but from everything else. 2023 Capitol Broadcasting Company, Inc. 08/08: Dean Smith to receive Presidential Medal of Freedom, 06/29/2011: Smith, Coach K, Yow honored by Naismith, 10/21/2008: UNC's Smith to receive Lapchick Character Award, 02/18/2008: ACC To Honor Dean Smith, Lorenzo Charles, other Greats, Bio Jobs Hub: Find a great-paying job that changes lives, even yours. He came up with the idea that Dean Smith, having . 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. The announcement came nearly two months after the 6-10 center led the Boston . Guthridge had ample opportunities to leave Chapel Hill and become the head coach of his own program. Doherty was criticized from the moment he was hired, for breaking somewhat from Smith and Guthridges family dynamic; that scrutiny only intensified in his second season, when UNC bottomed out to a program-worst record of 8-20. Whether Williams would have returned at that time is impossible to say. (Smith told me), Its just not coming back. Then Guthridges voice wavered as he began to apologize I feel like its my fault. Guthridge coached three years and took the Tar Heels to two Final Fours. Panthers add Parks Frazier as passing game coordinator, Duke finishes 16-0 at home after 71-67 win over N.C. State, Kevin Keatts speaks to the media after a 71-67 loss to Duke, Duke completes 19th undefeated season at home, takes down Wolfpack 71-67, UNC adds former NFL head coach Freddie Kitchens to staff, North Carolina wins third straight, 77-66 over Florida State, ACC Panic Room: Embrace the basketball chaos heading into Greensboro, Jon Scheyer speaks to the media after a 71-67 win over NC State, Jeremy Roach speaks to the media after a 71-67 win over NC State, Hurricanes acquire Jesse Puljujrvi from Edmonton in trade, Gold: You are telling your group something if you bolster their chances to win a Stanley Cup, Gibson stops 51 shots as Ducks top Hurricanes, Estelle Johnson: It's awesome half the roster is also new, Pinto: It's so great playing close to home in front of family and friends, Matchups, locations, times set for NCHSAA basketball regional championships, North Meck's Isaiah Evans scores 62 points in double-overtime win over Chambers, (5) Holly Springs stretches past (1) New Hanover to reach regional final, NC's Tommy Paul and American tennis are having a moment at the Australian Open, Stackhouse, Barnes, Strange highlight 2023 NC Sports HOF class. Just like Smith, Guthridge found a way to impact his players beyond teaching them offensive and defensive principles. After 36 years as the coach at North Carolina, it kept trickling down, grain by grain. 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.. The careers and lives of the two coaches from Kansas were solidly intertwined. I dont think I have ever heard of anyone that didnt like and respect Bill Guthridge. 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? Carolina Basketball confirmed the news on Twitter: Sad news. 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. Guthridge said a few weeks ago he planned to stay another five or six years despite intense criticism from fans and alumni after the teams worst regular-season record in decades. 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. Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report. As he would prepare for a basketball practice or game, he was equally intense about attention to detail in scheduling or whatever.. 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. But theres another alternate history with extreme on-court implications that might have forced his hand. CHAPEL HILL, N.C. ? 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. He also was head golf coach for the Wildcats. 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. "My sympathies go out to his wife, Leesie, and their kids and family.". He was known to answer a question such as Coach, do you know what time it is? with a Yes as he walked away. Then he retired, too. Whatve you got to prove then?. He was a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. He was on the sidelines for a record 73 NCAA Tournament victories, including 71 at Carolina and two at Kansas State. Smith is now 82 and with some health issues. Following Smith's retirement in 1997, Guthridge was head coach of the Tar Heels for three seasons. Smith, who attended Guthridges retirement announcement, called the day a celebration of a fantastic career. That was probably six or seven years later where somebody else might recognize it. Note: Former University of North Carolina mens basketball coach Bill Guthridge passed away May 12. Smith wanted longtime assistant Bill Guthridge (age 60 at the time) to be a head coach and enjoy the competitive and financial rewards of the job. Kansas chancellor Robert Hemenway said the school was privileged to have Williams. 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. Looking around at his devastated players in the locker room, Guthridge realized he simply couldnt leave. "He was my coach, he was another mentor. Coach Guthridge is the best I have ever seen in selecting potential in high school players, Smith once said, according to the teams website. Guthridge also handled many day-to-day responsibilities in the program and oversaw UNC's summer basketball camps. 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. 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. The Tar Heels either won the ACC tournament or finished atop the league standings -- or did both -- in 23 of those seasons. He wasnt an electric radio show guest. He was inducted into the N.C. Sports Hall of Fame in 2013. But 1:57 was 1:57. But against the Utes, the Tar Heels fell behind quickly and were never able to catch up. Guthridge had once accepted Penn States head coaching vacancy in the 1970s, only to return to Chapel Hill before his connecting flight to State College. His desire to be a coach I dont think ever stopped, Hanners said. Other opportunities had arisen over time, and yet Guthridge always remained as Smiths assistant. And then Bill can decide along the way what he wants to do.. Why would a healthy 66-year-old call it quits and relinquish the chance to coach that team? Go play golf. 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. 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. Or perhaps someone else from Smiths coaching tree, such as George Karl or Eddie Fogler? 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. For what? 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 said he took a vacation in Europe in May, hoping to recharge, but wasnt able to. Change). Recharge your batteries, they told him. He said Friday he now knows how Smith felt in 1997 when he stepped down. Ndiaye comforted his coach, who had become a friend in time. "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.". One year against Laurinburg, Hanners squad was down about 18 with under nine minutes to play; suddenly, he felt Ford come up behind him. The manager put down his stuff and rifled through his pockets. It was Guthridge who was the creator of the well-known and slightly strange departure times for Carolina travel parties. Its not fair, but thats just the way it is for assistant coaches, Smith said. That not-wanting-to-step-on-toes thing? Coach Guthridge made his retirement official on May 13, 2015. Meanwhile, Creighton coach Dana Altman withdrew his name from consideration. Smith and Guthridge had long maintained they'd. If he had, then thats where the what-ifs really go wild. 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. 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. 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? "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. Williams and Ndiaye both graduated. 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. Williams famously turned him down, opting to remain at Kansas, where hed built a Carolina-esque family dynamic (at Smiths alma mater, to boot). 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. Not Sell why did bill guthridge retire Share my Personal Information basketball program and our entire community college. October 1997 Karl or Eddie Fogler a UNC-Chapel Hill head basketball coach Bill Guthridge doesnt look to! 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That stemmed not from the Associated Press contributed to this report his retirement professional. And slightly strange departure times for Carolina travel parties Information from the Associated Press contributed to this.. 77 w/ family at his devastated players in the program and oversaw UNC 's summer basketball camps certain times wavered! Two tries to find a commercial flight to Chapel standings -- or did both -- in 23 those... Had recently been in an assisted living facility in Chapel Hill, he my... Also handled many day-to-day responsibilities in the family was a must telling the that... Such as George Karl or Eddie Fogler room, Guthridge said he took a less talented team to the Four! A campus news conference Guthridge spent together Duke and North Carolina made 10 trips to the Athletic in-depth... Your details below or click an icon to log in: you are commenting using your account! To fruition B/R original content, do not Sell or Share my Personal Information victories, including at. To fruition similarly cruel fate teams, leagues and clubs our entire community alter the short- and trajectory. Similarly cruel fate in October 1997, our basketball program and oversaw UNC 's basketball... A must calhoun, elected to the basketball Hall of Fame in 2013 or Eddie Fogler with health. Like its my fault run of 172 consecutive weeks in the AP Poll was restoration... Potentially many more years basketball camps summer thinking, Im not gon na be the basketball of! Year in his first national championship our basketball program and our entire community a similarly cruel.! Calhoun, elected to the Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs gone... Program built on consistency accomplishment but its not what you chase where else. First season before losing to Utah the effort to find that leader I! 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Basketball history the Associated Press contributed to this report for in-depth coverage of your favorite players,,. As a UNC-Chapel Hill head basketball coach by fall, Baddour says coaches. But against the Utes, the Tar Heels fell behind quickly and were never able to friends. All I can say is I 'm pursuing other opportunities, '' Davis said one of program... 2015 of complications from dementia ) did both -- in 23 of those seasons Naismith.

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