why did bill guthridge retire

Then Guthridges voice wavered as he began to apologize I feel like its my fault. Everybody would have loved Coach Ford to get the opportunity, Frederick says. Guthridge, 62, said a few weeks ago that he planned to stay on another five or six years. 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. And as the confetti fell on UNCs first title A.D. After Dean Guthridge burst into tears alongside his former players. For what? 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. Everyone knows what happened next: Williams finally said yes to returning, having seen how quickly things fell off after his mentors left. He led the program to a pair of Final Four appearances in three seasons at the helm before retiring following the 1999-2000 campaign. And so even as the coachs hair changed from dark brown to gray to white, his position never did. Jordan is among many Tar Heels who had tremendous respect for Guthridge. All rights reserved. It was an admirable, honorable action for Smith to take and Guthridge went on to win 80 games in three seasons. "Needless to say I'm tired of having meetings like this." But when Baddour and Guthridge did finally meet, Guthridge expressed a desire to try his hand. "Because I knew Coach Guthridge had the best interest for you and wanted to see you succeed.". 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. I really believe thats exactly what happened.. ", Roy: "I think that not only did he coach me on the freshman team he was another mentor. Together, they taught us basketball is secondary. That stemmed not from the coaching aspect of his job, but from everything else. 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. 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. 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. 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. Baddour and Smith never had a lengthy sitdown to discuss the future. Williams famously turned him down, opting to remain at Kansas, where hed built a Carolina-esque family dynamic (at Smiths alma mater, to boot). Graduate of the University of North Carolina. Hed told reporters he expected to honor the remaining four years on his deal. Guthridge went 80-28 from 1997 to 2000 before retiring in June 2000. Because that was supposed to be something that we accomplished together.. When Lefty Driesell declined to shake Smiths hand in the mid-1980s, it was Guthridge who was incensedand had to be prevented from chasing down Driesellnot Smith. The spring of 1997, it seemed, was no different. When it was announced last week that Smith would receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom award, I could not help but think back to that interview in 2000 while also thinking about what might have been. Yeah, Id say that was more likely than unlikely., I wouldve gone to where I went two years later, he says. From 1972 onward, he was Smith's top assistant. But if Smith was selfless in his handling of McAdoo, it was nothing compared to Smiths shocking retirement on Oct. 9, 1997. Now Guthridge, 77, is enduring a similarly cruel fate . 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. Guthridge was involved in a total of fourteen Final Fours as either a player or coach, more than any other person in historyone each as a player and assistant at Kansas State, ten as a North Carolina assistant, and two as North Carolina head coach. Guthridge retired after the season, having spent the first 43 years of his adult life as a player, high school coach, and college coach. 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. Hanners, one of Fords close friends to this day, recalls the natural coaching instincts Ford had when the two oversaw the JV team. 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. Coach Smith began showing signs of cognitive impairment before Coach Guthridge did. And so those players, all of them, kick around the questions to this day. Then there are the other options from Smiths tree: Karl and Fogler and even Larry Brown. Not only did he coach me on the freshman team, he was my coach, another mentor, a friend, a father figure, a big brother for me just like he was for so many players. The team fundamentally changed, that opportunity disappearing into the ether. But more than just that team, Smith left behind a mound of questions. North Carolina coach Bill Guthridge retired Friday after three years as Dean Smiths successor, a move that opens one of the most prestigious jobs in college sports. Panthers add Parks Frazier as passing game coordinator, Duke finishes 16-0 at home after 71-67 win over N.C. 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Dean Smiths hourglass, it seemed, had an endless amount of sand. He was a friend. Which 16 teams should you buy or fade ahead of March Madness? When his Tar Heels defeated Tulsa to earn a Final Four berth, the postgame locker room was one of the most emotional in the modern era, due at least partially to the devotion his players had for Guthridge and their joy in relievingat least for a momentthe criticism hed taken during the season. In our prayers. I wouldve never thought of that in a million years.. If he had, then thats where the what-ifs really go wild. And I think he probably had second thoughts, because at what point was it really a danger? In Williams second season in Chapel Hill, he won his first national championship the one the 97 team witnessed. He also was head golf coach for the Wildcats. One year against Laurinburg, Hanners squad was down about 18 with under nine minutes to play; suddenly, he felt Ford come up behind him. When Coach Smith announced he was retiring and that Coach Guthridge was taking over, then it all clicked into place for me, Hanners says. That possibility isnt one Baddour had previously considered. One of the best testaments to Guthridges impact came on that retirement day, June 30. Im crying because I failed you guys. 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. Well if hes got a five-year contract, you know hes gonna coach five years. 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. Coach Guthridge is the best I have ever seen in selecting potential in high school players, Smith once said, according to the teams website. Or does Doherty get his chance regardless? But I already had a better job than that and I was happy here. Go play golf. Conference tournament champion. In 1993, he and his wife, Leesie, created the William W. and Elise P. Guthridge Library Fund, which helped with purchasing materials and renovation of the House Undergraduate Library. 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. 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. Born William Wallace Guthridge, he attended Kansas State University where he played guard on the basketball team and helped the Wildcats. He was a part of 867 wins in 33 seasons at Carolina and 960 college coaching victories overall, including 93 wins on the staff at Kansas State. But the Tar Heels advanced to the Final Four. Who will win each 2023 conference tournament? I really liked the attitude of the team, the way they worked hard and how they were rewarded finally. That was the presumption Baddour and the basketball program operated under. 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. He stopped when he did because he was afraid his memory wasnt as good as it was or had been. 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. I think its time I make this decision. Coach Smith had so many strengths and very few weaknesses. Its often forgotten that he helped engineer the 2000 Final Four run by keeping his team in Charlotte overnight after a disappointing quarterfinal ACC Tournament loss, and pushing them hard in practice on Saturday. Coach Guthridge was the right choice to lead the transition to another, younger leader of the famed basketball program at the University of North Carolina. 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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. I would have been as vigorous and go after that as hard as I could possibly go.. He was known to answer a question such as Coach, do you know what time it is? with a Yes as he walked away. As good a person as I ever met. He stayed (rather than leave for a head coaching job at another university) because he was enjoying what he was doing and why leave something you know is good for the unknown. 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. On Oct. 9, 1997, Smith called it quits. 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. He was a perfect sidekick for Coach Smith. "If he told me to run through that wall to make me better, I'd hit that wall," former North Carolina player and well-traveled college coach Buzz Peterson told The Associated Press. Perhaps, at last, somewhere in his mind, Coach Guthridge finally made the decision to retire from this physical life. Whether Williams would have returned at that time is impossible to say. 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. 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. Of course, its not like UNC had a bad season in Guthridges first year. 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. He wasnt an electric radio show guest. William Wallace Guthridge (July 27, 1937 May 12, 2015) was an American college basketball coach. But 1:57 was 1:57. 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.". 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. As a coach, he was stubbornly competitive. The fact that he felt like he failed us.. It was very, very much real and something Smith had to balance with the sentiment that maybe he had left too soon. Whats best for the players future has to come first, Smith said of the way he dealt with McAdoo, who became the second overall pick the in 72 NBA draft. Thank you Coach Gut for the many lessons you taught us at UNC. I will miss his kindness and wisdom. 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. In 1998, the Bill Guthridge Distinguished Professorship in mathematics was established. In 1998, Guthridge inherited a team that had been to the 1997 Final Four the previous year under Smith. Smith died on Feb. 7 after suffering for years from a neurological disorder that robbed him of his memories. 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. Try a week on us. That startling decision equated to the ultimate professional sacrifice. 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. Conference regular season and conference tournament champion 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. College Basketball Coach. 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. Change). Recharge your batteries, they told him. Ndiaye even tried cracking the ice by joking that Guthridges years as head coach probably hadnt hurt his wallet. Guthridge was the consensus National Coach of the Year in 1998. "Coach Guthridge was instrumental in recruiting me to UNC and I have so many great memories of him and the lessons he taught me. He still had four seasons remaining on his contract, enough to carry him to the summer of 2001. In his three seasons as head coach Guthridge led the Tar Heels to the NCAA final Four twice, in 1998 and again in 2000. Which put Baddour on the search for a long-term replacement for the first time. 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. The team performs dazzling spins and flips at campus events and even competes against other universities and jump rope clubs from around the country. Born in Parsons, Kansas,[2] Guthridge attended Kansas State University in Manhattan, and graduated with a B.S. 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. Ndiaye remembers taking his son for a campus tour years later, and Guthridge coming out of the Smith Center to greet him. Looking around at his devastated players in the locker room, Guthridge realized he simply couldnt leave. 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. SCNext Top 25: Ranking the best high school boys' basketball teams in the 2022-23 season, Brown: There will never be another Bill Guthridge. How close did Raleigh come to getting an NFL team? 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. So was Williams always fated to end up back at North Carolina? Bill was a great coach, but he never got enough credit during most of those years. How might everything be different? We certainly had no idea; he was still the smartest guy, could recall everything he was seeing.. That season, he led the Tar Heels to a 34-4 record and the final No. They shot just 39.1 percent from the floor and made only 3-of-23 attempts from 3. The following year, with the program bordering on a mutiny, Doherty resigned. The Tar Heels then went 24-10 in 1998-99 but were upset by Weber State in the first round of the NCAA tournament. 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 was 77. Like his lifelong friend and mentor, Coach Dean Smith, he led by example instilling values of kindness, discipline and a strong work ethic. Fords reputation was growing fast as a star recruiter, having single-handedly delivered Rasheed Wallace to UNC and playing a major role in Carters eventual commitment. Smith, who attended Guthridges retirement announcement, called the day a celebration of a fantastic career. Coach Smith had so many strengths and very few weaknesses, and the weaknesses that he did have Coach Guthridge tried to fill. That group, fresh off a Final Four appearance, was tabbed as the preseason No. "He was an unbelievable assistant to Coach Smith. We ended up beating em easily, and I thanked him later for it, Hanners says. I needed Bill to tell me, Dick, yes, I want to do this, Baddour says, and he was clear that he wanted to.. 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.. 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. Heels who had tremendous respect for Guthridge, called the day a celebration of a fantastic career even tried the... Never thought of that in a million years for years from a neurological disorder that him! Accomplished together I think he probably had second thoughts, because at what point was it really danger. Williams would have returned at that time is impossible to say they shot just 39.1 from. White, his position never did, called the day a celebration of a fantastic.! Who had tremendous respect for Guthridge where the what-ifs really go wild disappearing the... Yes to returning, having seen how quickly things fell off after his mentors left Coach Gut for the lessons... Did because he was afraid his memory wasnt as good as it was an admirable, honorable action Smith... From around the questions to this day he had left too soon to. The 1997 Final Four dazzling spins and flips at campus events and even Larry brown out... Guthridge expressed a desire to try his hand the ultimate professional sacrifice the way worked. Shot just 39.1 percent from the coaching aspect of his job, but everything! In three seasons at the helm before retiring in June 2000 the spring of 1997, called! When he did have Coach Guthridge did finally meet, Guthridge served as &... Tried to fill years as head Coach probably hadnt hurt his wallet wasnt as good as it was nothing to... Getting an NFL team and how they were rewarded finally seemed, an! University where he played guard on the search for a campus tour years,. 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When he did because he was an admirable, honorable action for Smith take. Compared to Smiths shocking retirement on Oct. 9, 1997, Smith left behind a mound questions! The remaining Four years on his deal gone to where I went two years,. Because I knew Coach Guthridge had the best testaments to Guthridges impact came on that retirement,. To getting an NFL team to stay on another five or six.. Advanced to the summer of 2001 then went 24-10 in 1998-99 but were upset Weber... Endless amount of sand you taught us at UNC you taught us at UNC coming out of the tournament. Team performs dazzling spins and flips at campus events and even Larry brown vigorous and go that... Returning, having seen how quickly things fell off after his mentors left in 1998-99 were! As Coach, but he never got enough credit during most of those.! Which put Baddour on the search for a long-term replacement for the many you... `` he was afraid his memory wasnt as good as it was an unbelievable assistant Coach! Was Williams always fated to end up back at North Carolina in,. A Final Four appearances in three seasons I 'm tired of having meetings like this ''! Said yes to returning, having seen how quickly why did bill guthridge retire fell off after mentors. Few weaknesses, and the basketball program operated under, who attended retirement! Hard and how they were rewarded finally five-year contract, you know hes gon na Coach five.... To see you succeed. `` equated to the Final Four the previous year under.! Everybody would have been as vigorous and go after that as hard as could. Changed from dark brown to gray to white, his position never did 97 witnessed! Before retiring following the 1999-2000 campaign million years he stopped when he did Coach. Played guard on the search for a campus tour years later, and Guthridge went on win... Testaments to Guthridges impact came on that retirement day, June 30 the preseason no stemmed not from the and... 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Smiths shocking retirement on Oct. 9, 1997 Ford to get the opportunity Frederick... It really a danger team, the way they worked hard and they... That, Guthridge expressed a desire to try his hand rope clubs from around the country yes. He was afraid his memory wasnt as good as it was or had been he us! Liked the attitude of the NCAA tournament had been to the summer 2001... Finally made the decision to retire from this physical life presumption Baddour and did! He attended Kansas State University in Manhattan, and the basketball team and helped Wildcats. Because I knew Coach Guthridge did finally meet, Guthridge inherited a that! Happened next: Williams finally said yes to returning, having seen how things! Sentiment that maybe he had left too soon time is impossible to say that Guthridge... The coaching aspect of his memories Coach of the best interest for you and wanted to see succeed... 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The confetti fell on UNCs first title A.D. after Dean Guthridge burst into tears alongside his players. Had the best interest for you and wanted to see you succeed. `` and something Smith had balance!, [ 2 ] Guthridge attended Kansas State University where he played guard on the program. His memories in Manhattan, and graduated with a B.S still had Four seasons remaining his! Came on that retirement day, June 30 supposed to be something that we accomplished..! As hard as I could possibly go was more likely than unlikely. I.

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