Roy Ties Dean
CHAPEL HILL – The names Roy Williams and Dean Smith are shared on and inside the mammoth shrine to the basketball program both have made world famous, and with North Carolina’s 70-67 victory over Yale on Monday night, the two legends now share the same number of victories as head coaches.
UNC’s victory was the 879th for Williams, the same number Smith had when he retired in 1997. Williams tried to avoid celebrating the milestone but did field two questions about it in his postgame press conference before requesting the media ask about the Tar Heels’ victory, instead. As expected, the 69-year-old Hall of Famer downplayed the historic win.
“It’s a number,” Williams said, clearly uncomfortable speaking about the milestone and choking up some. “It means I’ve stayed around a long time. That’s what it is.”
Williams has never been comfortable being compared to his mentor. His reverence for Smith simply won’t allow thoughts of them being equals, so he rather not go there.
However, one way to look at the achievement is that it honors Smith, that Smith taught one of his pupils so well he matched him in victories and became a legend himself. Williams, though, says honoring Smith started long ago.
“I think every game I coach is a tribute to Coach Smith,” said Williams, who is now tied for fourth all-time in wins. “I’m not one of this guys that talks about the Lord and what would Jesus do, and a lot of times I say, ‘What would Coach Smith do?’
“The greatest advice he ever gave me, the night before I left to go to Kansas as a head coach, and he said, ‘Just be yourself, you’re good enough. Just be yourself, and you’ll be yourself you’re going to be one of the great coaches.’ So, I trusted that.”
Williams played on the freshman team at UNC in 1969 and spent 10 years as an assistant under Smith before taking the Kansas job following the 1988 season. Smith is a KU alum and helped make the move happen, but after Smith asked Williams to return to UNC for a second time 15 years later, he couldn’t say no.
The Tar Heels won his first national championship in his second season and won titles in 2009 and 2017 while also reaching the championship game in 2016, a night the Tar Heels lost to Villanova at the buzzer.
UNC has played in five Final Fours under Williams and eight Elite Eights. Overall, Williams has led his teams to nine Final Fours and six title game appearances. The Jayhawks were 418-101 with Williams at the helm for 15 years and the Tar Heels are now 461-138 in his 17th season.
Williams’ players are well aware of the achievement, including Garrison Brooks, who has been a part of the last 63 wins for Williams, including eight in 13 games this season.
“It’s a great thing to be a part of,” the junior said.
Putting into perspective just how deeply embedded Williams is in the sport’s history, he’s fourth generation from the inventor of the sport. James Naismith coached Phog Allen who coached Dean Smith who mentored Williams.
Freshman guard Jeremiah said it’s an awesome thought knowing he’s being coached by something with that kind of basketball lineage.
“Most definitely,” Francis said. “I’m learning from a guy that was taught by a great coach… Coach Roy is, I believe, the GOAT, the greatest of all-time head coach. Learning from him each and every day is a blessing.”