While a student at Kansas State, Guthridge played guard under head coach Fred "Tex" Winter, and helped the team advance to the 1958 Final Four. Once he asked a manager, whose arms were full of equipment, if he had change for a quarter. 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. That possibility isnt one Baddour had previously considered. But when Baddour and Guthridge did finally meet, Guthridge expressed a desire to try his hand. They made sure we knew it wasnt the most important thing in the world, but that we had been given a talent, and it was our job to use it., The Carolina community mourns the passing of Bill Guthridge, a great coach, devoted friend and loyal Tar Heel. 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. As he famously said at Smiths retirement news conference, I always thought we would ride off into the sun together.. [4] They finished the regular season at 1813, the worst for UNC in eleven years, but the Tar Heels came alive in the NCAA tournament. He still had four seasons remaining on his contract, enough to carry him to the summer of 2001. But I know thats something that bothered him to his death, Ndiaye says. Because that was supposed to be something that we accomplished together.. 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.. 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. He directed UNC to the 1998 Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament championship and was named the ACC Coach of the Year. They shot just 39.1 percent from the floor and made only 3-of-23 attempts from 3. He was 77 years old, Former UNC basketball coach Bill Guthridge passes away at age 77, UNC School of Social Work becomes new home for CEAL@UNC, expand work to advance assisted living. He, like Coach Smith, was more of a mentor and father figure than anything else. Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun announced his retirement Thursday. 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. In public, he was never going to be the center of attention. When Smith retired as Division I's winningest men's coach shortly before the 1997-98 season, Guthridge was promoted to replace him, and he guided the Tar Heels to two Final Fours in three seasons. 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 school scheduled a news conference for 2:30 p.m. today. 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. . The fact that he felt like he failed us.. He was 77. He said Friday he now knows how Smith felt in 1997 when he stepped down. If my answer was no, then Roy wouldve had absolutely zero interest. So why leave?, His dry sense of humor was legendary among his players. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. 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. Like his lifelong friend and mentor, Coach Dean Smith, he led by example instilling values of kindness, discipline and a strong work ethic. The ones he did have Coach Guthridge tried to fill. He had interviewed for the Texas job, which went to Rick Barnes, after the 1998 season, after all. I was just happy that the team had success. For starters, Baddour says he still would have offered Guthridge the job first. We offer our deepest condolences to the Guthridge family as they grieve the loss of a wonderful husband and father.. Guthridge took over when Smith retired after 36 seasons in October 1997. It was an admirable, honorable action for Smith to take and Guthridge went on to win 80 games in three seasons. But in hindsight, Hanners says there were clues that everything might not have been like normal. When Coach Smith announced he was retiring and that Coach Guthridge was taking over, then it all clicked into place for me, Hanners says. But I already had a better job than that and I was happy here. "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. I didnt really have to focus too much on a Plan B, Baddour says. 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 . Neither Davis nor athletic director Ron Wellman would comment on his departure. Matt Doherty, who played at UNC while Guthridge was an assistant and then became the school's head coach after Guthridge retired, sent along his condolences: Thank you Coach Gut for the many lessons you taught us at UNC. Bill Guthridge was consistently portrayed as a quiet gentleman. Whatve you got to prove then?. 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 Tar Heels either won the ACC tournament or finished atop the league standings -- or did both -- in 23 of those seasons. 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. But it is my opinion that he expected, when he first told me that, that he would continue to be the coach.. Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report. He was on the sidelines for a record 73 NCAA Tournament victories, including 71 at Carolina and two at Kansas State. [6], National champion All the scheduling calls, speeches for adoring donors, piles and piles of paperwork that accompanied seemingly everything he did. He had recently been in an assisted living facility in Chapel Hill. I wouldve gone to Roy.. 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. 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. How might everything be different? 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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 will miss his kindness and wisdom. 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. The announcement came nearly two months after the 6-10 center led the Boston . 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. One of the best testaments to Guthridges impact came on that retirement day, June 30. Former UNC Coach Bill Guthridge passed away last night at age 77 w/ family at his side. 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. 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. But the season, and that loss specifically, never faded from their collective consciousness. He was a kind soul with a strong, competitive spirit. The next day, Kenny Smith said, assistant coach Bill Guthridge wasn't at practice. Elizabeth A. Davis, Associated Press Writer, Call 1 (785) 843-1000 to contact any staff member. The Kansas native took over the role of head coach following Smith's departure. 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. In other words, why Smith walked away at the exact moment he did. Guthridge was the consensus National Coach of the Year in 1998. Other opportunities had arisen over time, and yet Guthridge always remained as Smiths assistant. (LogOut/ 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.. He was no different from Coach Smith or Coach Guthridge. Ironically, both coaches developed dementia along the way (Coach Smith died in January 2015 of complications from dementia). After Smith retired in October 1997, then-athletic director Dick Baddour elevated Guthridge to the top job. He would, however, have just lost his three best players at Kansas in Paul Pierce, Raef LaFrentz and Billy Thomas. Because I know Coach Smiths plan long-term, at least at that time, was to prepare the team for Phil to take over.. It wasnt until Oct. 3, 1997 a Friday about a week before the first practice of the season that Baddour got an indication that Smith wouldnt return. 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. "He was an unbelievable assistant to Coach Smith. If Williams had said no, then who might have been offered the job? 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. Fast-forward to present day, and he has surpassed Smith in both national championships and wins. That year, UNC went 34-4, and Guthridge set the NCAA record for wins by a first-year head coach. Then he retired, too. Guthridge also gave to the University away from basketball. He was extremely special, important to every player, every coach who ever worked here. And I think he probably had second thoughts, because at what point was it really a danger? Our condolences go out to his family and friends.. 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. But he decided he did not have the energy to continue coaching, the AP reported. Says losing Guthridge "is another tremendous loss. But Guthridge, who died Tuesday at 77 of heart failure, was not just one of the best college basketball coaches of all time, he was an unfailingly decent man who displayed a rare degree of. Coach Smith began showing signs of cognitive impairment before Coach Guthridge did. In five years on Winter's staff, Guthridge helped lead the Wildcats to a 9343 (.684) record, a pair of Big Eight Conference crowns, and the NCAA Final Four in 1964. 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. It was more a series of passing conversations, regular updates about the coachs state of mind. Guthridge had ample opportunities to leave Chapel Hill and become the head coach of his own program. Well if hes got a five-year contract, you know hes gonna coach five years. After those brief flirtations with head coaching positions, Guthridge settled in as UNC's top assistant, right up until Dean Smith suddenly retired in October of 1997. Former UNC Coach Bill Guthridge passed away last night at age 77 w/ family at his side. 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. Guthridge, his wife said, suffers from vascular dementia - a condition that's a result of reduced blood supply to the brain. The guys worked hard and didnt lose confidence, Guthridge said after the season. Division regular season and conference tournament champion 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. Williams and Ndiaye both graduated. But Baddour explained to the chancellor that because of Williams respect for Guthridge, hed never have taken the job over his friend. You wouldnt think that would work, but it did. He also coached 66 players who were selected in the NBA and/or ABA drafts. Hanners, one of Fords close friends to this day, recalls the natural coaching instincts Ford had when the two oversaw the JV team. Making the Final Four is a tremendous accomplishment but its not what you chase. Then there are the other options from Smiths tree: Karl and Fogler and even Larry Brown. Veteran sports reporter Peter Gammons had high praise for the former coach: Saddened to learn Bill Guthridge passed away. Coaches, both within the program and across the country, still came calling to Chapel Hill every summer to pick his brains about Xs and Os. One year against Laurinburg, Hanners squad was down about 18 with under nine minutes to play; suddenly, he felt Ford come up behind him. 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. 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. That said, its worth remembering that he told Williams just a few years ago that perhaps 66 was too early to retire, given his near flawless health at the time. But it was as if the whole contraption was tilted, resting at an incline so that the sand would never get to the bottom. Who will win each 2023 conference tournament? Kansas chancellor Robert Hemenway said the school was privileged to have Williams. 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? That's exactly what they did. He won more games than any college head coach in history after just two seasons and tied N.C. States Everett Case for most coaching victories after three years. At one point he thought he wanted to be a head coach, but he also decided that he really enjoyed Coach Smith and the program here and why should he leave when he has what he thought was the perfect job., Bill was uniquely special. He formed a successful partnership with Dean Smith that lasted three decades until Smith retired in 1997. Together, they taught us basketball is secondary. He also was an assistant to Smith on the 1976 U.S. Olympic team that won the gold medal in Montreal. Whether Williams would have returned at that time is impossible to say. A tremendously loyal person with an ego that was seemingly non-existent. (LogOut/ All the things he couldnt do during the daunting in-season months. When Smith was needlessly ejected from the 1991 Final Four, it was Guthridge who was furious in the tunnel after the game. He always knew what he was doing.. 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 joined the UNC staff in 1967 after five years as assistant to Tex Winter at Kansas State. "Coach Guthridge was instrumental in recruiting me to UNC and I have so many great memories of him and the lessons he taught me. 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. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. With Williams, it was the restoration of the family, three national championships and potentially many more years. He was a perfect sidekick for Coach Smith. 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. Chapel Hill, N.C. For all of his wins and championships, the Olympic gold medal, tactical innovations, social impact and fertile coaching tree, Dean Smiths unselfishness defined his career to an enormous, but often overlooked, extent. 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. And he said, Im not crying because we won. Unfortunately, it took UNC two tries to find that leader. That was the presumption Baddour and the basketball program operated under. On one occasion, he actually accepted the head coaching post at Penn State, but stepped down from the post a few days later.[3]. People could misinterpret 2 p.m.perhaps it really meant 1:45, or maybe 2:15. Jamisons teammates and Hanners and Baddour all agree. 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. Guthridge was a player and then an assistant coach at Kansas State . We ended up beating em easily, and I thanked him later for it, Hanners says. 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