Guthridge was a player and then an assistant coach at Kansas State before joining the Tar Heels staff in 1967. Assistant coach Phil Ford is at right. He would, however, have just lost his three best players at Kansas in Paul Pierce, Raef LaFrentz and Billy Thomas. Other opportunities had arisen over time, and yet Guthridge always remained as Smiths assistant. 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. You wouldnt think that would work, but it did. Guthridge didn't bother to recruit Jason Williams,. The Tar Heels then went 24-10 in 1998-99 but were upset by Weber State in the first round of the NCAA tournament. 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 stepped down 2 months later. He would sneak into practices, hide way up in the rafters so as not to be seen. Or perhaps someone else from Smiths coaching tree, such as George Karl or Eddie Fogler? "He was an unbelievable assistant to Coach Smith. I remember telling the chancellor that, Baddour says. But there was no questioning the depth of their relationship. 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. But it really wasnt and we both knew it. After Dean Smith retired, Bill Guthridge took over for three years and at some point, we can't remember exactly which year, Boswell struck. 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. He always knew what he was doing.. "Coach Guthridge was instrumental in recruiting me to UNC and I have so many great memories of him and the lessons he taught me. It was the 14th time Guthridge participated in the Final Four. The manager put down his stuff and rifled through his pockets. His lack of recruiting is why they went 8-20 shortly thereafter. But if Williams had declined the opportunity, as he initially did a year prior? But theres another alternate history with extreme on-court implications that might have forced his hand. Division regular season and conference tournament champion 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. That was the presumption Baddour and the basketball program operated under. 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. 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. Copyright 2013 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. But it was as if the whole contraption was tilted, resting at an incline so that the sand would never get to the bottom. Guthridge, his wife said, suffers from vascular dementia - a condition that's a result of reduced blood supply to the brain. 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. Coach Smith had so many strengths and very few weaknesses. But theres also the fact that Dean did it his way, which was entirely predictable. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Guthridge took over when Smith retired after 36 seasons in October 1997. 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. 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. Of course, its not like UNC had a bad season in Guthridges first year. Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report. He was an unbelievable assistant to Coach Smith. That first five minutes, you can have all the confidence in the world, but if you go down 23-8 or 13-4, you just put so much pressure on yourself. As they were chatting, Guthridge, who died in 2015, grabbed Ndiayes arm. Well if hes got a five-year contract, you know hes gonna coach five years. School officials stressed that Guthridge was not merely a placeholder for then-Kansas coach Roy Williams, signing him to a five-year contract. Baddour says he never got that far down the line because of Guthridges interest. The only people who came to know about that line of succession, so to speak, were Baddour, Smith, Guthridge and then-chancellor Michael Hooker, who expressed some concerns about Guthridges age early on. 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. Guthridge coached three years and took the Tar Heels to two Final Fours. But if Smith was selfless in his handling of McAdoo, it was nothing compared to Smiths shocking retirement on Oct. 9, 1997. (An aside: if Doherty stays, does Mike Brey, succeeded him and still remains in South Bend, get that job, or is he elsewhere too?). Current coach Roy Williams referenced Smith's death, which occurred on Feb. 7 of this year, when commenting onGuthridge, via Andrew Carter of theCharlotte Observer: Here's Roy. Smith, who attended Guthridges retirement announcement, called the day a celebration of a fantastic career. I wouldve gone to Roy.. 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. Hed grown up in North Carolina, graduated from the university, won a championship as an assistant under Smith and had built a successful program as the coach at Kansas. 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. Baddour and Smith never had a lengthy sitdown to discuss the future. That group, fresh off a Final Four appearance, was tabbed as the preseason No. I talk to Coach Williams all the time, and I asked him, Whats the best advice Coach Smith ever gave you? And he said, Antawn, Coach Smith told me just coach til you cant coach anymore. The only thing he regretted was he felt like he stopped coaching too early.. Which put Baddour on the search for a long-term replacement for the first time. The school scheduled a news conference for 2:30 p.m. today. Change). 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.. SCNext Top 25: Ranking the best high school boys' basketball teams in the 2022-23 season, Brown: There will never be another Bill Guthridge. The possibilities were endless, but Baddour is certain of one thing: keeping things in the family was a must. CHAPEL HILL, N.C. ? As he would prepare for a basketball practice or game, he was equally intense about attention to detail in scheduling or whatever.. With a wealth of returning talent, Guthridge instituted a "six starters" system, whereby the team's top six players, Antawn Jamison, Vince Carter, Ed Cota, Shammond Williams, Ademola Okulaja, and Makhtar N'Diaye rotated positions in the starting five. 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 became head coach after Smith retired in 1997 and coached the team for three seasons.UNC coach Roy Williams called Guthridge a key . He was extremely special, important to every player, every coach who ever worked here. I think its time I make this decision. I didnt really have to focus too much on a Plan B, Baddour says. 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. 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. Fast-forward to present day, and he has surpassed Smith in both national championships and wins. [5], He died at his home on May 12, 2015, after an extended illness, alongside his family. Perhaps, at last, somewhere in his mind, Coach Guthridge finally made the decision it was time for him to retire from this physical life. But I know thats something that bothered him to his death, Ndiaye says. North Carolina made 29 NCAA tournament appearances in Guthridge's 33 years on the staff and finished no worse than third in the Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season standings every year -- with 16 first-place finishes and 10 more in second. Everyone knows what happened next: Williams finally said yes to returning, having seen how quickly things fell off after his mentors left. As an assistant, Guthridge was renowned for his success in coaching the fundamentals of pivot play to a long series of successful UNC big men, and as the Tar Heels' primary shooting coach. The team fundamentally changed, that opportunity disappearing into the ether. Born William Wallace Guthridge, he attended Kansas State University where he played guard on the basketball team and helped the Wildcats. He was North Carolina basketball, the constant as the new building was built in his honor and the banners in the rafters accumulated, the link from Scott to Ford to Jordan to Stackhouse. when UNC named longtime assistant Bill Guthridge as his successor. That possibility isnt one Baddour had previously considered. Once he asked a manager, whose arms were full of equipment, if he had change for a quarter. That team still went 34-4, losing to Utah in the Final Four. 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 was a perfect sidekick for Coach Smith. He tried to do every one of those little things that drove Coach Smith crazy. Ill just say this, says Dave Hanners, one of Smiths longtime assistants. Division regular season champion 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 . 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. Calhoun, elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2005, is . North Carolina made 10 trips to the Final Four and won two national championships during the time Smith and Guthridge spent together. He wouldve been gone. Guthridge also handled many day-to-day responsibilities in the program and oversaw UNC's summer basketball camps. I really liked the attitude of the team, the way they worked hard and how they were rewarded finally. Unfortunately, it took UNC two tries to find that leader. Hed have been two years into a rebuild at Notre Dame, and perhaps less reluctant to leave. After Coach Guthridges retirement in 2003, he and Coach Smith stayed in close contact, visiting each other frequently. And as an assistant for Smith for nine seasons, he had both a championship pedigree and a deep understanding of how the program operated. In other words, why Smith walked away at the exact moment he did. Guthridge was completely content in the role of a lifetime assistant and the Smith/Guthridge combo would have been weakened had Guthridge retired early. 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. On Oct. 9, 1997, Smith called it quits. On June 30th in 1969, Bill Russell announced his retirement from professional basketball after a 13-year NBA career. The University of North Carolina has lost a dear friend, as haveI, andIknow that we will all miss him greatly., Im extremely saddened by the passing of Coach Guthridge, aka Coach Gut, especially coming so close to the loss of Coach Smith. And for as much as he did enjoy those three seasons, the same obligations that wore Smith down got to Guthridge as well. Dean Smiths hourglass, it seemed, had an endless amount of sand. . "He was my coach, he was another mentor. Spend time with family. After waiting an uncharacteristically long time to respond, he smiled and thanked me. Because that was supposed to be something that we accomplished together.. Did Bill Guthridge win national championship? "Because I knew Coach Guthridge had the best interest for you and wanted to see you succeed.". He was a friend. He was 77. Former UNC Coach Bill Guthridge passed away last night at age 77 w/ family at his side. 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. 3 "The End of Absence" Michael Harris. He came up with the idea that Dean Smith, having . 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Buffalo Brothers - 1/2 Price Appetizers 4:30pm-6:00pm Monday - Friday, Holliday: State and Carolina headed in different directions for the final two weeks, Brownlow: Angst will be at an all-time high as NC State hosts hated rival UNC, Holliday: Miami puts the Heels back on the bubble, Brownlow: NC State, Duke and UNC all seek to avoid two losses in a row as crunch time hits, Holliday: Pivotal road trips for NC State and Duke, Brownlow: Saturday's matchup marks the beginning of a new Carolina-Duke era, Holliday: Could this be Keatts' best ACC season? Graduate of the University of North Carolina. Guthridge didn't bother to recruit Jason Williams, conceding him to K, even though Jason reportedly had an interest in UNC. Carolina Basketball confirmed the news on Twitter: Sad news. 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. But he was also one of the most passionate members of the Carolina basketball family in the last 50 years, and was completely devoted to the Tar Heels, to Smith, and to the University of North Carolina. 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. Hanners, one of Fords close friends to this day, recalls the natural coaching instincts Ford had when the two oversaw the JV team. He formed a successful partnership with Dean Smith that lasted three decades until Smith retired in 1997. Who will win each 2023 conference tournament? He was even more important to me. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. From 1972 onward, he was Smith's top assistant. That year, UNC went 34-4, and Guthridge set the NCAA record for wins by a first-year head coach. At that point, Baddour turned to Matt Doherty, who had been the coach at Notre Dame for just one season. "Mak said he gets this call from his mom: 'Mak, there's this man here in Africa, says he's your coach,' ". It was profoundly hard for Coach Guthridge to watch his lifetime friend become forgetful and lose the memories they shared together, not just as the architects of a fantastic and highly-ethical college basketball program, but as friends who regarded each other and their respective families as their own. (Smith told me), Its just not coming back. Maybe Phil Ford wouldve been the head coach then, Ndiaye says. But I already had a better job than that and I was happy here. The 1971-72 Tar Heels had finished 26-5 but were upset by Florida State (not an ACC member at the time) in the NCAA Final Four semifinals. We certainly had no idea; he was still the smartest guy, could recall everything he was seeing.. Born in Parsons, Kansas,[2] Guthridge attended Kansas State University in Manhattan, and graduated with a B.S. What burned just below that was a fierce competitor who might sometimes react more like a fan than you would expect. He led his first team to the 1998 Final Four and had two players, Vince Carter and Antawn Jamison, selected in the top five . But if Williams had said no, as he did two years later, would Ford have been tapped for the job then? Guthridge coached North Carolina to the Final Four in his first season before losing to Utah. And then Bill can decide along the way what he wants to do.. His desire to be a coach I dont think ever stopped, Hanners said. The next day, Kenny Smith said, assistant coach Bill Guthridge wasn't at practice. You will be missed. The perception of Smiths program might have been that it ran without emotion. 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. We ended up beating em easily, and I thanked him later for it, Hanners says. And I said, I cant say to you with certainty what Bills gonna do, but this is how we have to approach it. On the day of Smiths retirement, The Washington Post reported Smith wants his other longtime assistant, former Tar Heels point guard Phil Ford, eventually to become the coach, a source said. Ford was arguably Smiths best player ever, and UNCs all-time leading scorer at the time. Guthridge took over when Smith retired after 36 seasons in October 1997. "This is another terrible loss for the Carolina basketball family," former North Carolina player and current Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan said in a statement to The Associated Press. 1 "The End of Absence" Michael Harris, Pt. 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. Guthridge would still call on Smith, after all, to speak to the team at certain times. After Smith retired in October 1997, then-athletic director Dick Baddour elevated Guthridge to the top job. The fact that he felt like he failed us.. 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. As good a person as I ever met. He was a father figure.". Recharge your batteries, they told him. 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. And so even as the coachs hair changed from dark brown to gray to white, his position never did. 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. One year against Laurinburg, Hanners squad was down about 18 with under nine minutes to play; suddenly, he felt Ford come up behind him. 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. Had it worked out where there wasnt a down year or whatever, maybe things end up differently, Frederick says. At the time, their run of 172 consecutive weeks in the AP Poll was the second-longest in college basketball history. He was a perfect sidekick for Coach Smith. Peterson -- who roomed with Jordan on those early 1980s teams -- said Guthridge kept the program going off the court, with the assistant making him run the school's golf course at 6 a.m. as punishment for once being late. Smith and Guthridge had long maintained theyd retire together, the natural conclusion to a three-decade partnership in Chapel Hill. I would lean a little bit toward the side of Bill saying, Look, Im not on the front end of my career, its great to have done this, what a way to go out, Baddour says. For 30 of his 33 years at Carolina, Guthridge was the behind-the-scenes guy scouting opponents, making sure players got to class on time, disciplining players, getting the players on the bus or airplane and into the hotel, working with office staff on the smallest of details, and recruiting the latter, unlike many coaches, he said he enjoyed immensely. Whether Williams would have returned at that time is impossible to say. It was more a series of passing conversations, regular updates about the coachs state of mind. Guthridge said he took a vacation in Europe in May, hoping to recharge, but wasnt able to. 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. in education in 1963. Perhaps, at last, somewhere in his mind, Coach Guthridge finally made the decision to retire from this physical life. Carolina Jump Rope is making their fellow Tar Heel rethink what it means to jump rope. You will be missed. 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. Coach Guthridge made his retirement official on May 13, 2015. 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. 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. Guthridge was the longtime assistant to UNC coach Dean Smith, who died earlier this year. 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. He led the program to a pair of Final Four appearances in three seasons at the helm before retiring following the 1999-2000 campaign. In his first year as head coach, he led the the team . You come up one year, and that year you win the national championship. Matt Doherty, who succeeded Guthridge as Tar Heels coach and served in that capacity for three seasons, tweeted his condolences Wednesday. I mean, the Plan B was there.. He was 77 years old. 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. In his three seasons as head coach Guthridge led the Tar Heels to the NCAA final Four twice, in 1998 and again in 2000. 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. 2 "The End of Absence" Michael Harris, Pt. He was no different from Coach Smith or Coach Guthridge. And by the end of every summer, Smith returned freshly rejuvenated. Ironically, both coaches developed dementia along the way (Coach Smith died in January 2015 of complications from dementia). Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. What about Ford? But in hindsight, Hanners says there were clues that everything might not have been like normal. In our prayers. in mathematics in 1960 and an M.A. By the way, Dean Smith basically forced UNC to hire Guthridge, his long-time assistant, when El Deano suddenly retired in October 1997, just before the beginning of the hoops season. He was a kind soul with a strong, competitive spirit. Guthridge took over when Smith retired after 36 seasons in October 1997. But against the Utes, the Tar Heels fell behind quickly and were never able to catch up. He spurned offers to interview for head coaching vacancies, preferring to remain out of the spotlight and continuing to team with Smith. He was like Coach Guthridge in that both of them loved and bled Carolina blue so much that they never wanted to leave the program.. Even 22 years after turning down the Nittany Lions, Guthridge still couldnt quite bear to leave. Neither Davis nor athletic director Ron Wellman would comment on his departure. Why would you stay? He had interviewed for the Texas job, which went to Rick Barnes, after the 1998 season, after all. Really, a championship or not is the only major differentiator between Smith and Guthridge. We offer our deepest sympathies to Bills family, friends and the entire North Carolina basketball community.. 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. Williams called Guthridge a key of 172 consecutive weeks in the family a. Up differently, Frederick says Chapel Hill handled many day-to-day responsibilities in the Final Four alternate! Maintained theyd retire together, the same obligations that wore Smith down got to Guthridge well. 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