Thursday, 21 November 2024

Roy Williams

Contest: The US Athletic Hall of Fame - Coaches 2024
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Sport(s): Basketball
Statistics: 3 NCAA Division I Tournament Wins (2005, 2009 & 2017) (1982 as an assistant)
9 NCAA Division I Final Fours (1991. 1993, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2016 & 2017)
9 ACC Regular Season Championships (2005, 2007, 2008 2009, 2011, 2012, 2016, 2017 & 2018)
3 ACC Tournament Wins (2007, 2008 & 2016)
4 Big 12 Regular Season Championships (1997, 1998, 2002 & 2003)
3 Big 12 Tournament Wins (1997, 1998 & 1999)
5 Big Eight Regular Season Championships (1991, 1992, 1993, 1995 & 1996)
1 Big Eight Tournament Win (1992)
2 AP Coach of the Year Awards (1992 & 2006)
2 Henry Iba Coach of the Year Awards(1990 & 2006)
1 Naismith College Coach of the Year Award (1997)
2 ACC Coach of the Year Awards (2006 & 2011)
4 Big Eight Coach of the Year Awards (1990, 1992, 1995 & 1996)
3 Big 12 Coach of the Year Awards (1997, 2002 & 2003)
896-258 NCAA Record
79-26 Division I Tournament Record
Member of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame
Member of the College Basketball Hall of Fame
Roy Williams has been the head coach for only two schools, Kansas and North Carolina, and when you think of the status of those two institutions, the first impression of that has to be high.

Williams played briefly for North Carolina in the late 60s, and while he was not a good college basketball player, he showed an interest in coaching, learning under the legendary Dean Smith. Smith brought him back as an assistant in 1978, where he served in that capacity for 13 years and won a National Championship in 1982.

Williams won the coaching vacancy in Kansas in 1988 and ran the Jayhawks for 16 years, winning four conference titles and reaching two Final Fours. With the exception of his first season, when Kansas was on probation, the Jayhawks never missed the tournament, and they either finished first or second 12 times in the Big Eight/Twelve.

In 2003, UNC and Williams were reunited, and the Tarheels had slumped over the past six years, so he was not returning to the same powder blue power that he left. Williams brought North Carolina back to past glory, winning his first NCAA Tournament as a head coach in 2005. The Tarheels have since won two more NCAA Tournaments (2009 & 2017) and appeared in two other Final Fours.

Williams is still the head coach at UNC and is climbing the all-time wins board.

We are proud to nominate Roy Williams for the United States Athletic Hall of Fame.

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