From The N&O archive: UNC fans think new coach Roy Williams ‘has the complete package’

Carolina’s top brass turned out to welcome home native son Roy Williams on Tuesday morning in the shadow of the Old Well, just hours after Williams was named the university’s head basketball coach.

Already dubbed by many fans as the savior of Carolina basketball, Williams, who boasts the highest winning percentage of any active Division I basketball coach, decided early Monday to leave his head coaching position at the University of Kansas -- a post he had held for 15 years -- to return to his alma mater. He will replace Matt Doherty, who was forced to resign April 1 after three seasons as UNC’s head coach.

At the Tuesday morning event, UNC Chancellor James Moeser introduced Williams to a slew of vice chancellors, deans, trustees, student leaders and other university movers and shakers.

A number of students and other fans also turned out and were greeted warmly by Williams, who willingly shook hands and signed autographs for those who approached him.

“I think it’s great that he came out to meet everybody,” said Deborah Gaddis, a General Alumni Association employee who attended the event and had the opportunity to briefly meet Williams. “We’re just really glad to have one of our own back.”

The hiring also won approval from academic leaders at the university.

Provost Robert Shelton, the university’s chief academic officer, said Tuesday that Williams’ record -- both on and off the court -- make him a good fit for UNC.

“If you look at Coach Williams’ record, it’s a stellar one in terms of working with his players as complete human beings,” Shelton said.

“I think that he has the complete package of treating people as people, knowing there is more to life than basketball and more to life than classes.”

Faculty Council Chairwoman Sue Estroff said Williams embodies the traits she would like to see in a coach. Estroff has been a vocal opponent of what she has described as the professionalization of college athletics.

“That’s why I am glad we have a college coach and not a professional coach,” Estroff said.

Beth and Tal Black, both of whom are university employees and long-time Tar Heels fans, also were elated to see Williams -- who worked for Dean Smith as an assistant coach from 1978 to 1988 -- come to Chapel Hill.

The Blacks were among about 200 people who gathered along the entryway to the Smith Center on Monday night awaiting Williams’ arrival for a news conference. Beth Black said the announcement was especially sweet because Williams turned down the job three years ago after originally indicating that he would accept it -- a move that disappointed many of the Tar Heel faithful. Williams said deciding to make the move to UNC was the toughest decision of his life.

“We’ve been waiting for Roy for a long time -- for three years,” Beth Black said.

Her husband added jokingly, “Our line is ‘Dick Baddour finally delivered -- and it’s a Roy.’”

Many of the fans at the Smith Center carried signs bearing support for Williams. Among them were signs that read “Welcome Back, Coach” and “There’s No Place Like Home.”

Waiting fans spontaneously initiated a new spin on a favorite Smith Center cheer -- one section of the crowd yelled “Roy” and the other answered “Williams.”

Just before 10 p.m., the crowd got its wish as Williams -- seated in a car driven by former UNC coach Dean Smith -- slowly ascended the drive leading to the Smith Center and to the waiting reporters and camera crews.

Some were impressed that Smith personally transported Williams to the event, saying that they felt a sense of family was returning to the program.

“I couldn’t believe Dean was driving,” junior Chris Barnes said. “That’s awesome.”

Freshman Patrick Bait also awaited Williams’ arrival at the Smith Center. Flanked by his friends -- freshman Peter Austin and sophomore John Berry, both of whom wore Carolina-blue T-shirts -- Bait showed his support for Williams by wearing a sign that proclaimed him “Roy’s Boy” around his neck.

Bait also said he felt Williams would further the ideals that fans historically associate with Carolina basketball.

“He will no doubt continue the tradition -- a tradition of excellence,” Bait said.

Earlier in the day, Williams emerged tearful from a meeting with his players in Lawrence, Kan., during which he informed them he would be taking the job at North Carolina. The coach’s emotion for his former players endeared him to many Tar Heels fans.

“He was pretty torn about having to leave Kansas,” Austin said. “But coming back to Carolina -- I think he’s glad to be back.”

Freshman Stephen McIntyre also said he appreciated how difficult the decision to leave Kansas must have been for Williams.

“I have a great amount of respect for Roy,” McIntyre said. “I think he wanted to build his own program at Kansas. But just like every person, I think he realizes that that there’s no place like home, and home is Chapel Hill.”

Chapel Hill residents Julie and Doug Schoerke both graduated from the University of Kansas, but the couple brought their two children -- Chandler, 9, and Amanda, 6 -- to the Smith Center Monday to welcome Williams.

The Schoerkes, who now root for the Tar Heels when the team is not playing Kansas, said they also felt conflicting emotions about Williams’ decision.

“We’re sad for KU, but we’re really happy for Carolina,” Julie Schoerke said.

While some fans gathered outside the Smith Center late Monday, others packed bars and restaurants on Franklin Street to watch the news conference.

At Woody’s Tar Heel Tavern, fans laughed, cheered and clapped loudly during Williams’ speech, most notably when he announced that he planned to approach former assistant coach Phil Ford about returning as an assistant.

Billy Sentelle, manager of Ham’s restaurant, said he thought Doherty’s decision not to hire Ford hurt the team’s performance as well as Doherty’s relationship with some people in the athletics department.

“I think that would have made Doherty’s term a little longer if (Ford) had been there,” Sentelle said.

Like many of his fellow UNC fans, Daniel Rosenman considers Williams the answer to his prayers.

“I think definitely he will be the savior of the Carolina basketball program for the next 10 years or so,” Rosenman said.

But other fans were slightly less convinced.

After the news conference, Chapel Hill resident John McAllister said he was not impressed with Williams’ excitement over his new job.

“He definitely doesn’t seem enthusiastic about being here,” McAllister said. “I think he’s really torn about being at the two schools, and I think that was apparent in the interview.”

Graduate Student Dusty Durden said he was encouraged about the future of UNC basketball under Williams’ watch but that Williams will have to deliver victories to keep the fans and athletics department officials behind him.

“I feel like it is about wins and losses when it comes down to ACC basketball,” Durden said.

With a career record of 418-101, Williams has won 400 games faster than any other coach in history.

Although he has yet to win a national title, Williams led the Jayhawks to four Final Fours and two national championship games.

Athletics Director Dick Baddour said Monday that Williams will sign an eight-year contract, which will include a base salary of $260,000 from UNC, a $25,000 expense account, and $21,667 in bonuses.

That money is only part of the package, which eventually will be worth more than the estimated $1.2 million a year that Williams made at Kansas. Contracts with Nike and the multimedia company Learfield Inc. could add more than $1 million to Williams’ annual pay. It could be several weeks before the contract is finalized.

Baddour declined to comment Monday night about whether university officials had approached anyone other than Williams about the position.

This story was originally published April 1, 2021 at 12:00 PM with the headline "From The N&O archive: UNC fans think new coach Roy Williams ‘has the complete package’."