He needed to hear that from Guthridge. If Williams had said no, then who might have been offered the job? He wasnt going to entertain a room full of boosters with behind the scenes stories. The little doo-doos, Smith called them, the administrative tasks just within the purview of his job responsibilities. "You get old." Bill and Dean, friends for life Smith. But the Tar Heels suffered a soul-crushing NCAA Tournament loss that also ended Phil Fords career. 1 "The End of Absence" Michael Harris, Pt. He was a kind soul with a strong, competitive spirit. I enjoyed my 30 years as an assistant coach, and Ive enjoyed my three years as a head coach.. when UNC named longtime assistant Bill Guthridge as his successor. Did Bill Guthridge win national championship? As they were chatting, Guthridge, who died in 2015, grabbed Ndiayes arm. His lack of recruiting is why they went 8-20 shortly thereafter. 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. Ndiaye even tried cracking the ice by joking that Guthridges years as head coach probably hadnt hurt his wallet. In his three seasons as head coach Guthridge led the Tar Heels to the NCAA final Four twice, in 1998 and again in 2000. He would sneak into practices, hide way up in the rafters so as not to be seen. He directed UNC to the 1998 Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament championship and was named the ACC Coach of the Year. 33 yrs on UNC bench. 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. 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. In that July or August period, when Coach Smith basically told Coach Guthridge for the very last time in his life, Im not ready, Im not gonna do it again, then I think Coach Guthridge told him at that point that hed really like to try, Hanners says. He joined the UNC staff in 1967 after five years as assistant to Tex Winter at Kansas State. The Tar Heels lost to Florida in last seasons Final Four. 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. The Tar Heels either won the ACC tournament or finished atop the league standings -- or did both -- in 23 of those seasons. The complaints turned to praise after the teams unlikely Final Four appearance. Baddour and Smith never had a lengthy sitdown to discuss the future. He said Friday he now knows how Smith felt in 1997 when he stepped down. Smith and Guthridge had long maintained they'd. "He was my coach, he was another mentor. That team still went 34-4, losing to Utah in the Final Four. That was the presumption Baddour and the basketball program operated under. 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. Elizabeth A. Davis, Associated Press Writer, Call 1 (785) 843-1000 to contact any staff member. (LogOut/ 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. College Basketball Coach. Guthridge coached North Carolina to the Final Four in his first season before losing to Utah. In public, he was never going to be the center of attention. "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. 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. One year against Laurinburg, Hanners squad was down about 18 with under nine minutes to play; suddenly, he felt Ford come up behind him. Everybody would have loved Coach Ford to get the opportunity, Frederick says. "This is a tremendous loss for our basketball program and entire community.". Recharge your batteries, they told him. Matt Doherty, who succeeded Guthridge as Tar Heels coach and served in that capacity for three seasons, tweeted his condolences Wednesday. 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. 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. It has to be one of those., Williams talked Thursday night with Kansas athletic director Bob Frederick. 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.. Guthridge was a player and then an assistant coach at Kansas State . Revisionist history does offer some diverging paths, though. Spend time with family. Had it worked out where there wasnt a down year or whatever, maybe things end up differently, Frederick says. 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. Guthridge didn't bother to recruit Jason Williams,. 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. You wouldnt think that would work, but it did. Smith and Guthridge had long maintained theyd retire together, the natural conclusion to a three-decade partnership in Chapel Hill. Longtime North Carolina basketball coach Bill Guthridge died Tuesday night. Bill Guthridge was consistently portrayed as a quiet gentleman. 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. For more than three decades, Coach Guthridge served this University he loved so much with a deep commitment to academic and athletic excellence. 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. 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. 3 "The End of Absence" Michael Harris. Think about it: Youve been an assistant coach for 30-plus years. But if Williams had declined the opportunity, as he initially did a year prior? "I'm extremely saddened by the passing of Coach Guthridge, aka 'Coach Gut,' especially coming so close to the loss of Coach Smith," Jamison, who was national player of the year during Guthridge's first season as coach, said in a statement. Tim Crothers. That possibility isnt one Baddour had previously considered. Coach Smith had so many strengths and very few weaknesses. He also was an assistant to Smith on the 1976 U.S. Olympic team that won the gold medal in Montreal. "From cultivating a global mindset across campus to partnering with researchers across the world, we make connections that strengthen our state and establish Carolina as a leading global public research university.". Guthridge was Smiths assistant for 30 years. I dont think I have ever heard of anyone that didnt like and respect Bill Guthridge. Guthridge said he took a vacation in Europe in May, hoping to recharge, but wasnt able to. Note: Former University of North Carolina mens basketball coach Bill Guthridge passed away May 12. Ironically, both coaches developed dementia along the way (Coach Smith died in January 2015 of complications from dementia). In fact, most of that team reconvened in St. Louis in 2005 for Williams first championship game at North Carolina. His loss is deeply felt by our university and the basketball world. He, like Coach Smith, was more of a mentor and father figure than anything else. Conference regular season champion That group, fresh off a Final Four appearance, was tabbed as the preseason No. On June 30th in 1969, Bill Russell announced his retirement from professional basketball after a 13-year NBA career. And had Smith gone until age 71 or 72, as did Kentuckys Adolph Rupp, Carolina would have won another 50-60 games and the transition to Roy Williams might have happened seamlessly. He also coached 66 players who were selected in the NBA and/or ABA drafts. He was known to answer a question such as Coach, do you know what time it is? with a Yes as he walked away. In fact, he communicated as much to Baddour after Baddour was tapped in late June to replace John Swofford as athletic director. Then there are the other options from Smiths tree: Karl and Fogler and even Larry Brown. In our prayers. Of course, its not like UNC had a bad season in Guthridges first year. I think its time I make this decision. 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. Why bring those up? How might everything be different? Dick, lets talk on Monday, but Im pretty sure Im gonna tell you Monday its time to transition, Baddour remembers. Guthridge's did, too, and during Smith's funeral and memorial services, Williams, knowing the end could be near, told former players and current ones to spend time with Guthridge. 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. Now Guthridge, 77, is enduring a similarly cruel fate . On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. He handed out handwritten notes instead. 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