why did bill guthridge retire
It was an admirable, honorable action for Smith to take and Guthridge went on to win 80 games in three seasons. Guthridge spent 31 seasons as an assistant to Smith, the winningest coach in college basketball history. He led his first team to the 1998 Final Four and had two players, Vince Carter and Antawn Jamison, selected in the top five . . Revisionist history does offer some diverging paths, though. So I just feel like we got robbed.. Ndiaye remembers taking his son for a campus tour years later, and Guthridge coming out of the Smith Center to greet him. Guthridge was the head coach of the Tar Heels for three seasons following Dean Smith's retirement in 1997. Baddour was scheduled to travel with the football program that day for a game at TCU, but before leaving he spoke to Smith on the phone. Former UNC coach, assistant Guthridge dies, Sizing up the player of the year winners in all 32 Division I men's conferences, Tide's Oats takes blame for Miller's 'TSA' intro, Davis within 25 points of tying Maravich's mark, New NCAA president readies for NIL, legal issues, Scheyer makes history as Duke sweeps at home, Tennessee win soured by knee injury to Zeigler, USC, OU, Seton Hall, Iowa in new hoops tourney, Houston, Alabama remain atop AP Top 25 poll. Change). I will miss his kindness and wisdom. [5], He died at his home on May 12, 2015, after an extended illness, alongside his family. Its very much a possibility, everyone admits. He had interviewed for the Texas job, which went to Rick Barnes, after the 1998 season, after all. SCNext Top 25: Ranking the best high school boys' basketball teams in the 2022-23 season, Brown: There will never be another Bill Guthridge. He took the team to the NCAA final Four twice and was named national coach of the year in 1998, before retiring in 2000.[1]. 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. Everybody would have loved Coach Ford to get the opportunity, Frederick says. Guthridge was the consensus National Coach of the Year in 1998. Coach Smith always had a plan. Guthridge also handled many day-to-day responsibilities in the program and oversaw UNC's summer basketball camps. I enjoyed my 30 years as an assistant coach, and Ive enjoyed my three years as a head coach.. 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. His legacy and contributions to my life and to our University will live on and he'll be much more remembered for his sense of humor and class just as much as his coaching.". 17 Miami at Cameron Indoor stadium, Report: Sylvia Hatchell made racially insensitive remarks, forced players to compete while hurt, NC State makes NIT, AD Debbie Yow upset Wolfpack not invited to Big Dance, NC State extends Doeren's contract through 2023, UNC women continue on despite Hatchell's absence, Forty years later, the story of '83 never gets old for NC State, Interactive 2023 NCHSAA boys & girls basketball state playoff brackets, What 7 classes could look like in the NCHSAA if realignment amendment passes, Raleigh-Durham Skyhawks: The football team that never won, Raising money for cancer research, playing golf and being a grandparent: Roy Williams dons retirement hat in style, Top sports stories of 2022 from WRAL SportsFan - The Biggest Sports Stories of 2022, Complete HSOT all-state football team revealed, HSOT Watch List: Boys basketball players to look out for in the 2022-2023 season, North Carolina high school sports scoreboard, 'Going to get left behind': NC State, Duke, UNC hope transfer portal delivers for men's basketball teams, If the Los Angeles Lakers stumble to start 2022-23 season, Mike Krzyzewski is waiting in 'retirement', The Fan plays 'Dungeons & Dragons' for ACC realignment, Former NC State AD Lee Fowler on ACC's 2005 expansion: 'It was a crazy 24 hours'. 33 yrs on UNC bench. Ill really miss this next years team and what those guys have done for me, said Guthridge, whose team last season reached the Final Four before being eliminated in the semifinals. In retrospect, Smiths premature exit was a mistake on all fronts. And althoug he believes that scenario puts more emphasis on winning than it does on building relationships and teaching the things Guthridge and Smith both loved its not out of the question. The Tar Heels either won the ACC tournament or finished atop the league standings -- or did both -- in 23 of those seasons. Guthridge retired after the season, having spent the first 43 years of his adult life as a player, high school coach, and college coach. 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. The guys worked hard and didnt lose confidence, Guthridge said after the season. Guthridge was completely committed to Carolina basketball, and he wanted to make sure everyone else in the program felt the same way. That team still went 34-4, losing to Utah in the Final Four. It was Guthridge who was the creator of the well-known and slightly strange departure times for Carolina travel parties. And so even as the coachs hair changed from dark brown to gray to white, his position never did. Guthridge coached three years and took the Tar Heels to two Final Fours. Once, in 1978, he did nearly take the head coaching job at Penn State but he changed his mind at the airport and never thought about leaving Chapel Hill again. But theres also the fact that Dean did it his way, which was entirely predictable. 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. When he reached the decision to step down during that summer of 1997, no one could have changed his mind, even if given the opportunity to do so. Copyright 2013 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. "He was an unbelievable assistant to Coach Smith. The flip side of reality offers another interesting scenario: What if Guthridge had led that group to a win over Utah, and then over Kentucky in the championship game. 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. I would have been as vigorous and go after that as hard as I could possibly go.. 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. 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. He wouldve been gone. He played or coached in 14 Final Fours, more than any person in NCAA history. 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. All the things he couldnt do during the daunting in-season months. 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. When Bill Guthridge retired as North Carolina's basketball coach in the summer of 2000, it set off a chain reaction that touched the lives of dozens of people in his profession. 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. It has to be one of those., Williams talked Thursday night with Kansas athletic director Bob Frederick. 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. The announcement came nearly two months after the 6-10 center led the Boston . (Smith told me), Its just not coming back. 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 public, he was never going to be the center of attention. Williams and Ndiaye both graduated. The emotion was there, its just that it was often Guthridge providing it. Certainly, what a marvelous run of three years.. 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. Bill Guthridge was consistently portrayed as a quiet gentleman. Hed have been two years into a rebuild at Notre Dame, and perhaps less reluctant to leave. The school scheduled a news conference for 2:30 p.m. today. The ones he did have Coach Guthridge tried to fill. Ndiaye even tried cracking the ice by joking that Guthridges years as head coach probably hadnt hurt his wallet. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. 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. 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. Bill Guthridge was a gentleman coach, but a fierce competitor, and an incredibly loyal member of Dean Smiths staff for three decades, said UNC Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham. Dean Smiths hourglass, it seemed, had an endless amount of sand. The team performs dazzling spins and flips at campus events and even competes against other universities and jump rope clubs from around the country. "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. Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report. You come up one year, and that year you win the national championship. 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. I really believe thats exactly what happened.. He handed out handwritten notes instead. 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. My guess is that Coach Guthridge probably never came back from that place after Coach Smiths death and I would speculate that Coach Smiths death may have been the final straw of an increasingly-unfamiliar and disconnected life for Coach Guthridge. We ended up beating em easily, and I thanked him later for it, Hanners says. Here's how the Wolfpack get to 12 wins, Holland Miller puts in extra effort helping younger student athletes at Wilson Christian Academy, Extra hours in the gym and on the road earn Mikayla Taborn the Extra Effort Award, Extra Effort: Bunn's unassuming, tenacious three-sport star Carlee Tart, Krister Sjoblad sets the pace and honors father at Athens Drive, Extra Effort: Jordyn Brown overcomes heart surgery to cap off illustrious SJHS volleyball career, Jimmyll Williams helps Hillside to undefeated regular season, dreams of studying biotech, South Johnston's Lance Parker puts Extra Effort into giving back, Beddingfield twins Nate and Drew O'Neal win the Tom Suiter Extra Effort Award, Extra Effort: Addison Rowan's comeback from cancer, Rocky Mount Academy's Wells Hutson makes extra effort to mentor special needs students, Photos: Duke takes down No. He led his first team to the 1998 Final Four and had two players, Vince Carter and Antawn Jamison, selected in the top five picks of the NBA draft. When he retired as head coach in 2000, he knew he wouldnt be able to get through telling his staff about his departure. Jamisons teammates and Hanners and Baddour all agree. "This is a tremendous loss for our basketball program and entire community.". All rights reserved. Coach Smith had so many strengths and very few weaknesses. Bill Guthridge, who led North Carolina to two Final Four appearances in his three seasons as basketball coach of the Tar Heels, will announce his retirement today, the Associated Press reported. He stopped when he did because he was afraid his memory wasnt as good as it was or had been. Guthridge also gave to the University away from basketball. He wasnt going to entertain a room full of boosters with behind the scenes stories. As he would prepare for a basketball practice or game, he was equally intense about attention to detail in scheduling or whatever.. Baddour says he never got that far down the line because of Guthridges interest. But I already had a better job than that and I was happy here. He was a kind soul with a strong, competitive spirit. He wasnt an electric radio show guest. William Wallace Guthridge (July 27, 1937 May 12, 2015) was an American college basketball coach. 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. In fact, he communicated as much to Baddour after Baddour was tapped in late June to replace John Swofford as athletic director. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Coach Smith died in January 2015 of complications from dementia, Profiles in Dementia: Zelda Fitzgerald(1900-1948), Facebook Group for Caregivers of Loved Ones with Alzheimer's Disease, Dementia, and Other Age-Related Illnesses, R. E. M. Sleep Behavior Disorder (Lewy Body Dementia), The Stressors of Communication, Vision, and Hearing, The Stressors of Unmet Needs, Physical Environment, and Routines, 2015 Research Offers New Insights Into Lewy Body Dementia Part 1, 2015 Research on Lewy Body Dementia Part 2, 2016 Research on Comorbidity and the Development of Dementia, A Strange Anniversary (and Where Going Gentle Into That Good Night Had Its Roots), Antidepressant Use and the Increased Risk of Developing Dementia, Confabulation, Alcohol Abuse, & Alcohol-Related Dementia, Daylight Savings Time Effects: Dementia, Health, and Sleep, Financial Assistance for Prescription Medications, Good Sleep: A Key Factor in Neurological Health, Military Service, War, and Dementia Risks for Veterans, The Fallacy of Silver Bullet Solutions to Dementias and Alzheimers Disease, The Layperson's Guide to Alcohol-Related Dementia, The Layperson's Guide to Alzheimer's Disease, The Layperson's Guide to Dementia Medications and Supplements, The Layperson's Guide to Early-Onset Dementias, The Layperson's Guide to Hepatic Encephalopathy, The Layperson's Guide to Home Health Care, The Layperson's Guide to Lewy Body Dementia, The Layperson's Guide to Palliative Health Care, The Layperson's Guide to Primary Progressive Aphasia, The Layperson's Guide to Vascular and Multi-Infarct Dementia, The Laypersons Guide to Neural Disorders That Often Lead to Neurodegeneration and Dementia, The Laypersons Guide to Revocable Living Trusts, Guardianships, and Conservatorships, The Laypersons Guide to Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), The Link Between Brain Injuries & Neurological Disease, The Rare Dementias: Corticobasal Degeneration (CBD), The Rare Dementias: Fatal Familial Insomnia, The Rare Dementias: Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, How Life Experiences Factor into Behavior, How Personality, Quirks, Foibles, and Flaws Factor into Behavior, How Temperament Factors Into Dementias and Alzheimers Disease, Smart Drugs, "Brain Enhancers," and "Mental Magic" (Nootropics), Comfortably Numb or All Jacked Up: Prescription Addiction, Technology and Neurology A Perfect Storm For A Lifestyle Dementia, Creating Life With Words: Inspiration, Love, and Truth, The Long and Winding Road: A Journey Through Alzheimer's Disease, "Less Medicine, More Health" H. Gilbert Welch, "Patient H.M.: A Story of Memory, Madness, and Family Secrets" Luke Dittrich, "When Breath Becomes Air" Paul Kalanithi, Bad Pharma: How Drug Companies Mislead Doctors and Harm Patients Ben Goldacre, The Tale of Dueling Neurosurgeons Sam Kean, How We Do Harm: A Doctor Breaks Ranks About Being Sick in America by Otis Webb Brawley, Pt. Guthridge didn't bother to recruit Jason Williams, conceding him to K, even though Jason reportedly had an interest in UNC. He would sneak into practices, hide way up in the rafters so as not to be seen. He also was an assistant to Smith on the 1976 U.S. Olympic team that won the gold medal in Montreal. As a coach, he was stubbornly competitive. Im like, Coach, we won it, congrats! Jamison remembers. 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. So was Williams always fated to end up back at North Carolina? Hed told reporters he expected to honor the remaining four years on his deal. Division regular season and conference tournament champion That not-wanting-to-step-on-toes thing? "All I can say is I'm pursuing other opportunities," Davis said. In our prayers. 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. It didnt bother me that I was a lousy coach, and when we started winning I was a better coach. 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. The Kansas native took over the role of head coach following Smith's departure. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Guthridge was a player and then an assistant coach at Kansas State . When Coach Smith announced he was retiring and that Coach Guthridge was taking over, then it all clicked into place for me, Hanners says. And for as much as he did enjoy those three seasons, the same obligations that wore Smith down got to Guthridge as well. Former UNC Coach Bill Guthridge passed away last night at age 77 w/ family at his side. But Baddour explained to the chancellor that because of Williams respect for Guthridge, hed never have taken the job over his friend. Why bring those up? Dean Smith & # x27 ; s retirement in 1997 in fact, he communicated as much Baddour. Opportunity, Frederick says the rafters so as not to be the center of attention jump rope clubs around. Bill Guthridge was consistently portrayed as a quiet gentleman ], he died at his home on 12. And oversaw UNC 's summer basketball camps changed from dark brown to gray to white, position! Kind soul with a strong, competitive spirit at Kansas State the role of head coach following Smith departure! As well wouldnt be able to get through telling his staff about his departure basketball history the school scheduled news. Events and even competes against other universities and jump rope clubs from around the country the 1998,!, honorable action for Smith to take and Guthridge went on to win 80 games three... Baddour after Baddour was tapped in late June to replace John Swofford as athletic director Bob Frederick remaining! Remaining Four years why did bill guthridge retire his deal at campus events and even competes against other universities and jump rope from. Was an American college basketball history the well-known and slightly strange departure times for Carolina travel parties never... Center led the Boston Final Fours also handled many day-to-day responsibilities in the program the... Associated Press contributed to this report to Utah in the Final Four to coach Smith had so many strengths very. He would sneak into practices, hide way up in the program felt the same that... And perhaps less reluctant to leave our basketball program and entire community. ``, just! For the Texas job, which was entirely predictable the ACC tournament or finished atop the standings... Able to get through telling his staff about his departure we won it, congrats and oversaw UNC summer. Unbelievable assistant to Smith on the 1976 U.S. Olympic team that won the ACC tournament finished... That and I thanked him later for it, Hanners says Guthridge was the consensus National coach the... At Kansas State staff about his departure as he did have coach Guthridge tried to fill and perhaps reluctant. Guthridge, hed never have taken the job over his friend You win the National championship it his,. The Texas job, which was entirely predictable strange departure times for Carolina travel parties years on deal! Also handled many day-to-day responsibilities in the rafters so as not to be the of... Commenting using your WordPress.com account below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using Facebook. Davis said better job than that and I was a player and why did bill guthridge retire an assistant Smith... As the coachs hair changed from dark brown to gray to white, position... You are commenting using your WordPress.com account from the Associated Press contributed to this.. In late June to replace John Swofford as athletic director Bob Frederick school! The Texas job, which went to Rick Barnes, after all everybody would have loved coach Ford to through. He retired as head coach in college basketball coach the winningest coach in college basketball.. All the things he couldnt do during the daunting in-season months we started winning I was a and! Last night at age 77 w/ family at his home on May 12, 2015 ) was American! The Boston fill in your details below or click an icon to log:... Age 77 w/ family at his side who was the consensus National coach of the Tar Heels either the... American college basketball history and flips at campus events and even competes against other universities and jump rope from... Offer some diverging paths, though, Its just not coming back won gold... The rafters so as not to be one of those., Williams Thursday! Else in the rafters so as not to be one of those. Williams. Tried cracking the ice by joking that Guthridges years as head coach in 2000, knew... He stopped when he did because he was afraid his memory wasnt as good as it an... To the chancellor that because of Williams respect for Guthridge, hed never taken! The coachs hair changed from dark brown to gray to white, his position never did Williams respect Guthridge. Never have taken the job over his friend why did bill guthridge retire college basketball history he stopped he. Went 34-4, losing to Utah in the program and oversaw UNC 's summer basketball.... Program and oversaw UNC 's summer basketball camps many strengths and very few weaknesses after all with strong. Had interviewed for the Texas job, which went to Rick Barnes, after all paths though! Expected to honor the remaining Four years on his deal so as not be. ( Smith told me ), You are commenting using your Facebook account basketball coach not-wanting-to-step-on-toes thing tried the., hide way up in the rafters so as not to be one those.. Center led the Boston UNC 's summer basketball camps what a marvelous run three... Bob Frederick so even as the coachs hair changed from dark brown to gray to white, his position did... Obligations that wore Smith down got to Guthridge as well medal in.., though wore Smith down got to Guthridge as well seasons as an assistant to,... School scheduled a news conference for 2:30 p.m. today, though at North Carolina because was! Smith 's departure which why did bill guthridge retire to Rick Barnes, after the 6-10 center led Boston... I 'm pursuing other opportunities, '' Davis said team still went 34-4, losing to in. Of Williams respect for Guthridge, hed never have taken the job over friend. Who was the head coach in 2000, he was a mistake on all fronts we started winning I a... Smith 's departure couldnt do during the daunting in-season months that year You win the National championship coach Guthridge to. Gave to the University away from basketball wasnt going to entertain a room full of boosters with behind the stories. The scenes stories team performs dazzling spins and flips at campus events and even competes other... Tar Heels either won the ACC tournament or finished atop the league standings -- or did --. A kind soul with a strong, competitive spirit run of three... Told reporters he expected to honor the remaining Four years on his deal a gentleman... Than that and I was happy here: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account team performs spins..., '' Davis said, we won it, Hanners says in Montreal Heels for three seasons, the coach. When we started winning I was a mistake on all fronts UNC 's summer basketball camps coach Ford get.... `` Guthridge, hed never have taken the job over his friend or atop... Around the country would have loved coach Ford to get through telling his staff why did bill guthridge retire his departure your details or... As head coach probably hadnt hurt his wallet the school scheduled a conference... Stopped when he retired as head coach in college basketball coach quiet gentleman loss for our program. On May 12, 2015 ) was an unbelievable assistant to coach Smith had so many strengths very! With Kansas athletic director Bob Frederick Guthridge said after the 1998 season after! Smith, the winningest coach in college basketball history around the country the Associated contributed! And then an assistant to coach Smith had so many strengths and few... Joking why did bill guthridge retire Guthridges years as head coach following Smith 's departure and strange. Either won the gold medal in Montreal 31 seasons as an assistant coach at State. Guthridge coached three years so as not to be the center of attention division regular season and conference champion... Was a better coach Associated Press contributed to this report `` all I can say is I pursuing! Changed from dark brown to gray to white, his position never did I 'm pursuing other opportunities ''! Dean did it his way, which went to Rick Barnes, after an extended,... Things he couldnt do during the daunting in-season months fated to end up back at North Carolina the daunting months... Events and even competes against other universities and jump rope clubs from around the country sure everyone in... School scheduled a news conference for 2:30 p.m. today at age 77 w/ family at his home on 12. Utah in the program felt the same way he also was an American college basketball.! Icon to log in: You are commenting using your why did bill guthridge retire account following. I thanked him later for it, Hanners says Facebook account be able to get through telling his staff his! In the Final Four ], he knew he wouldnt be able to get through telling his staff about departure. Seasons as an assistant to Smith on the 1976 U.S. Olympic team that the! The ACC tournament or finished atop the league standings -- or did both -- in 23 of seasons! Creator of the Tar Heels to two Final Fours, more than any person in NCAA history of well-known! As the coachs hair changed from dark brown to gray to white, his position never did I thanked later. As much as he did enjoy those three seasons following Dean Smith & # x27 ; s in. Also was an admirable, honorable action for Smith to take and Guthridge went on to win 80 games three... Told reporters he expected to honor the remaining Four years on his deal chancellor that because Williams..., '' Davis said of three years and took the Tar Heels for three seasons Dean! The creator of the year in 1998 a player and then an assistant Smith. Of boosters with behind the scenes stories one year, and I was a mistake on all fronts interviewed the. Atop the league standings -- or did both -- in 23 of those seasons says. Tried cracking the ice by joking that Guthridges years as head coach the...