From The N&O archive: Former Tar Heel coach Dean Smith excited about Roy Williams hire

Dean Smith was smiling.

Kind of like a coach who had just signed a blue-chip prospect.

“I’m excited,” said Smith, who was in the Dean Smith Center Practice Gym Monday night when Roy Williams was introduced as North Carolina’s new head basketball coach.

“He’s the entire package. He can recruit. He can teach. He can handle young men and make them do what he wants them to do. They will play hard. They will play together. They will play smart.”

Smith, the legendary Tar Heels coach, had contacted Williams -- his former assistant -- about taking the Carolina job three years ago, and many figured it was a done deal. But Williams, citing loyalty to his Jayhawks players, remained at Kansas.

When Matt Doherty resigned on April 1, however, Smith again participated in the courtship of Williams, then turned the process over to UNC athletics director Dick Baddour.

Smith attended the national championship game in New Orleans and visited with Williams until about 3 a.m. last Tuesday morning, after Kansas had lost to Syracuse 81-78 in the NCAA championship game.

On Tuesday, Williams called Smith to talk some more.

Smith said the approach with his friend, golfing buddy and protege was no different this time than it was three years ago, that he didn’t emphasize that Carolina really needed Williams more this time.

“That would have been for the wrong reason,” Smith said. “[But] last time we were coming off a Final Four.”

In fact, Smith said he was pushing to give Doherty more time, and noted that the Carolina basketball cupboard is far from bare.

But when the coaching change occurred, Smith was there to help land a new coach, to hopefully re-establish Carolina basketball.

He walked into the news conference with Williams, the Carolina players and Guthridge at approximately 10:10 p.m. Monday night.

“I’m here,” Smith said. “But I will not interfere.”

Smith mainly plans to enjoy watching Tar Heels basketball.

“I’m pleased [Roy] ran our stuff for 15 years [at Kansas],” Smith said. “I guess I should have been bugged that they ran it better.”

Smith smiled again.

This story was originally published April 1, 2021 at 11:54 AM with the headline "From The N&O archive: Former Tar Heel coach Dean Smith excited about Roy Williams hire."