Smith died on Feb. 7 after suffering for years from a neurological disorder that robbed him of his memories. He was instrumental in helping lure Williams back to North Carolina. The family told team spokesman Steve Kirschner that Guthridge died of heart failure and that the coach had lived with a heart condition the past seven years. Williams and Ndiaye both graduated. Graduate of the University of North Carolina. ", Roy: "I think that not only did he coach me on the freshman team he was another mentor. That was the presumption Baddour and the basketball program operated under. One of the things that made (Smith) so special was his ability to be innovative so certainly, I think we would have had some other ways to attack in a game that we struggled, against Utah in the Final Four.. To combat that fatigue, every summer, Smiths assistant coaches urged him to get out and enjoy life. Though he was a head coach for a short time, he gracefully carried on a culture and legacy that many thought could not be perpetuated. Spend time with family. 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. Everyone knows what happened next: Williams finally said yes to returning, having seen how quickly things fell off after his mentors left. 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.". "We'd always say there were so many time zones -- Eastern Standard Time, Central Standard Time -- but the most important was GST: Guthridge Standard Time," Peterson said. Of course, Smith did retire. MIAMI: Tulane athletic director Rick Dickson acknowledged he has given the school permission to talk to Green Wave coach Perry Clark about replacing Leonard Hamilton. 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. Former University of North Carolina basketball coach Bill Guthridge, 77, died Tuesday from a heart condition. Following Smith's retirement in 1997, Guthridge was head coach of the Tar Heels for three seasons. Guthridge, who like Smith was a Kansas native, spent 30 years as an assistant coach and had ample opportunities to leave Chapel Hill and become the coach of his own program. He needed to hear that from Guthridge. But when Baddour and Guthridge did finally meet, Guthridge expressed a desire to try his hand. In his tenure at UNC, Guthridge coached five National Players of the Year, six ACC Players of the Year, five ACC Rookies of the Year and 28 first-team All-ACC players. 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 spurned offers to interview for head coaching vacancies, preferring to remain out of the spotlight and continuing to team with Smith. In 2000, the Tar Heels struggled in the regular season, falling out of the polls for the first time since the start of the 199091 season. Thats impossible to know, but Williams was also returning a top-five team, one that was expected to compete for a championship in its own right. Looking around at his devastated players in the locker room, Guthridge realized he simply couldnt leave. But the season, and that loss specifically, never faded from their collective consciousness. Our condolences go out to his family and friends.. Certainly, what a marvelous run of three years.. What Smith left behind was arguably the most talented team hed ever assembled: a pair of future NBA All-Stars, Vince Carter and Antawn Jamison; the programs all-time assists leader, point guard Ed Cota; a lights-out shooter, Shammond Williams; a frontcourt enforcer, Makhtar Ndiaye; and much more. In public, he was never going to be the center of attention. He held a news conference in the bowels of the Dean Smith Center, where he announced his retirement from the game hed given his life to. 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 is probably best remembered for his loyalty to Smith, who died in February at age 83. He joined the UNC staff in 1967 after five years as assistant to Tex Winter at Kansas State. "This is a tremendous loss for our basketball program and entire community.". The Kansas native took over the role of head coach following Smith's departure. He has a keen sense of which ones will be very good players and which ones may be overrated. Without question, every opportunity that I would have to hire Roy Williams. Ndiaye even tried cracking the ice by joking that Guthridges years as head coach probably hadnt hurt his wallet. His calm demeanorhe could sometimes be found sitting in the stands an hour before road games eating popcorn or a hot dogmasked a passionate love for the Tar Heels. 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. 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 wasnt an electric radio show guest. But it was all as a team, no one mans fault or wrongdoing for the groups shortcoming. 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. 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. I wouldve never thought of that in a million years.. I would have been as vigorous and go after that as hard as I could possibly go.. 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. 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. Ndiaye remembers taking his son for a campus tour years later, and Guthridge coming out of the Smith Center to greet him. Maybe Phil Ford wouldve been the head coach then, Ndiaye says. CHAPEL HILL, N.C. ? In our prayers. In Guthridge's final season, he went 18-13 -- at the time, the program's worst finish in decades -- but bounced back in the postseason to reach North Carolina's 15th Final Four before losing in the national semifinals to Florida. "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. He said Friday he now knows how Smith felt in 1997 when he stepped down. But 1:57 was 1:57. 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. I will miss his kindness and wisdom. He held tight. 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. 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.. Its hard, man. Its funny that were doing this story, Jamison says. Smith wrote in his memoir, A Coachs Life, that before he retired in 1997, he told recruits: If Im not coaching, I am confident that your coach will be either Bill Guthridge, Eddie Fogler, Roy Williams, Larry Brown, George Karl or Phil Ford, not necessarily in that order. Baddour and Smith never had a lengthy sitdown to discuss the future. Its very much a possibility, everyone admits. (Robert Willett / Tribune News Service via Getty). 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. What happened, happened. 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. Then Guthridges voice wavered as he began to apologize I feel like its my fault. Change). On one occasion, he actually accepted the head coaching post at Penn State, but stepped down from the post a few days later.[3]. Brendan Marks covers Duke and North Carolina basketball for The Athletic. 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. "He, like Coach Smith, was more of a mentor and father figure than anything else. Guthridge was the consensus National Coach of the Year in 1998. How might everything be different? School officials stressed that Guthridge was not merely a placeholder for then-Kansas coach Roy Williams, signing him to a five-year contract. The manager put down his stuff and rifled through his pockets. In other words, why Smith walked away at the exact moment he did. Guthridge took over when Smith retired after 36 seasons in October 1997. The Tar Heels lost to Florida in last seasons Final Four. Once he asked a manager, whose arms were full of equipment, if he had change for a quarter. The complaints turned to praise after the teams unlikely Final Four appearance. 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. Why would you stay? You will be missed. Coach Smith had so many strengths and very few weaknesses. And with Guthridge having gotten his shot, there would have been no issues of whose turn it was. 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. 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. I dont think I have ever heard of anyone that didnt like and respect Bill Guthridge. 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. 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. WAKE FOREST: Former basketball standout Charlie Davis quit his job in the athletic department, reportedly for not being considered for advancement. He was even more important to me. 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. Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun announced his retirement Thursday. The guys worked hard and didnt lose confidence, Guthridge said after the season. When coach Smith retired in 1997, after a tenure of 36 season, Guthridge took over the job to begin a reign of great basketball playing at UNC. And I think he probably had second thoughts, because at what point was it really a danger? After that loss, Carter and Jamison turned pro. Because I know Coach Smiths plan long-term, at least at that time, was to prepare the team for Phil to take over.. He saw his memory issues coming long before the world did. You accomplished something that takes some other people 20-plus years to do. I really believe thats exactly what happened.. 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 was the head coach of the Tar Heels for three seasons following Dean Smith's retirement in 1997. The ones he did have Coach Guthridge tried to fill. 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. Says losing Guthridge "is another tremendous loss. 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. in mathematics in 1960 and an M.A. 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. 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. Penn State was a good situation, he said in an interview in 2010. The people who knew him best werent surprised he went to two Final Fours in three seasons.. Although four years further down the line, theres skepticism Guthridge, at the age of 64 or 65, would still have been interested in taking a crack. Thank you Coach Gut for the many lessons you taught us at UNC. His lack of recruiting is why they went 8-20 shortly thereafter. when UNC named longtime assistant Bill Guthridge as his successor. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. The Tar Heels finished first or tied for first in the ACC regular season 16 times, finished second or tied for second in the ACC regular season 11 times and finished third or tied for third in the ACC regular season six times. Because that was supposed to be something that we accomplished together.. "My sympathies go out to his wife, Leesie, and their kids and family.". Although his individual achievements showcased his ability as a head coach, Guthridge always seemed content working with Smith to develop a top program at North Carolina. How would his retirement alter the short- and long-term trajectory of a program built on consistency? Which put Baddour on the search for a long-term replacement for the first time. When it was his turn as head coach, he immediately won an ACC championship and took two teams to the Final Four. Postseason invitational champion 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. Division regular season and conference tournament champion They shot just 39.1 percent from the floor and made only 3-of-23 attempts from 3. Its not what gets remembered for the rest of your life, at least not at a place like North Carolina. "I'd always set my time to GST, 10 minutes ahead.". Had it worked out where there wasnt a down year or whatever, maybe things end up differently, Frederick says. 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. "Needless to say I'm tired of having meetings like this." He also was an assistant to Smith on the 1976 U.S. Olympic team that won the gold medal in Montreal. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. 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. A Tar Heel passing him in the hallway might greet him with a quick head nod and a greeting of, Coach. Guthridge would invariably respond with a similar head nod and, Player.. On Oct. 9, 1997, Smith called it quits. He formed a successful partnership with Dean Smith that lasted three decades until Smith retired in 1997. Did Bill Guthridge win national championship? Before their first-round exit in 2021, this was the only time that the Tar Heels failed to win a game in the tournament since it expanded to 64 teams (and dropped first-round byes) in 1985. But the Tar Heels advanced to the Final Four. Hanners, one of Fords close friends to this day, recalls the natural coaching instincts Ford had when the two oversaw the JV team. He competed in one as a player at Kansas State in 1958, was an assistant coach at 11 before directing the Tar Heels at two as head coach. (LogOut/ 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. Have coach Guthridge tried to fill Smith called it quits that not only did he coach on. 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