Williams Gets Humorous Explaining Timeout Philosophy

CHAPEL HILL – Roy Williams was asked during Tuesday’s press conference at the Smith Center about his philosophy in not calling many timeouts. The reason it came up was because of some criticism Williams has received for not calling a timeout during Duke’s decisive run during the loss to the Blue Devils on Friday night in the ACC Tournament.

It led to a fascinating and sometimes entertaining response.

Williams was in very good spirits Tuesday, which is evident in his response. You can watch his presser right here.

Here was his response:

“It doesn’t bother me, guys, find something damn original to think about. I’ve been criticized for 29 years for not calling timeouts and I’m still 5-10-and-a-half. That part ain’t changing, either.”

Question: What would it take to call a timeout?

Williams: “What my philosophy is the same dadgum philosophy for 29 years, I call them when I want to, and I don’t care what the blanket-blank blank anybody says. I’ll give you an example: Before half of you were born in 1991, we’re playing in Madison Square Garden against Vegas and I jumped up to call a timeout and (assistant coach) Kevin Stalling said, ‘Coach, we get one in 40 seconds.’ I said, ‘I don’t care, we could be down 8 more,’ because we had like a 20-point lead and all of a sudden Vegas had cut it to 12. And they were scary and my guys looked like they were panicking.

“What I base it on is it more important to call it there or more important to save it? My high school coach (Buddy Baldwin) says, ‘Dang, if you weren’t so stupid you’d call few more timeouts and won a few more games.’ I’m going to call it the way I always have.

“There were two timeouts during the course of their run, anyway. Timeouts are overrated, I believe. God all mighty, we take a timeout every time the referee gets a heartbeat: 12, 16, 8, 4. I talk to them – watch me, I keep my guys in the huddle less than any coach in basketball. I send them out, I’m tired of talking to them, there’s only so much I can say.

“So, my policy, philosophy, thought process is I’m going to call a timeout when I think it’s the right thing to call. I mean seriously, one of the coaches said, ‘Do you want to call a timeout?’ Justin Jackson’s got the ball on the wing and Isaiah Hicks is posted low with a little guy behind him, I like that, so I’m not going to take that away.

“I did, 1991 go look at it. I called one with 12 minutes to go in the half. I called one (Friday). I called a timeout and there were two timeouts in there. I’m not going to change, because we’ve been pretty damn good.

“And I had a player, and this is more important than anything you guys or fans or all that Internet crap, I had a player tell me one time, ‘Coach, if you call a timeout I’m going to panic. I don’t want my players panicking.

“Every day we practice, I put them down six with three minutes to go, or up six with three minutes to go almost every day. So, am I wasting all my time to call them over there and put their hands together and sing kumbayah?

“So, I’m going to call it when the hell I want to call it. I don’t care what you guys say or what anybody else says, it makes no difference. You haven’t been on the bench for a thousand games and I have. So, that’s my philosophy. You can talk all the hell you want, it makes no difference to me, we’ve won some games not calling a timeout. One player, said ‘If you call a timeout I’m going to panic,’ and that’s a hell of a lot more important to me than anything you guys say or any plumber that’s putting something on Facebook.

“Think of it, guys, I’ve coached 1,000 games, we’ve been in some tight situations, we’ve won some games.”

Comment from a member of the media: You had two timeouts already.

Williams: “That’s the whole thing, we’d talked already twice. And then I called one at 11 because I didn’t like the look on our guys’ face. That’s your answer, if I don’t like the look on my guys’ face I’ll probably call a timeout.

“But we’ve been there before, really, every day 86-80. Before we play Virginia I’ll tell Tony (Bennett) he changed my practice, because I make it 66-60. Swear to God, that’s the truth. When we get ready to play Virginia, late-game scenario it’s 66-60 us ahead, or 60-66 us behind. Everybody else is 86-80. One year we played Billy Tubbs when he was at TCU, so I made it 96 -90 – we beat the dog crap out of them. They were the leading scoring team in the country.

“So, if my guys look nervous or if they look confused or panicky I’ll call it at that point. I’m doing this for my benefit, not yours.”

Question: What does he think of Mike Krzyzewski’s philosophy of calling timeouts sometimes after made baskets?

Williams: “You know, I’ve seen high school coaches do that a ton. I saw it happen three times here Saturday night in a state championship game. It’s what he believes in, it’s what they believe in. I’ve never let what anybody else does stun me because a guy’s got to feel comfortable with what he’s doing.

“It’s something for me, I want to get the play stopped to get a guy out sometimes. I’ve asked players – I’ve asked the ’05 team and the ’09 team in the championship game, ‘Do you guys need a timeout?’ I’ve asked players when they’re going to the free throw line before, ‘Do you need a timeout for rest?’ I do that all the time.

“But let me get to something that’s easy for me, do you know the two easiest jobs in the world, seriously? College basketball coach and golf course superintendent, because everybody knows how to do your job better than you do. Last time I said that I got five invitations from golf course superintendents.

“One guy, the American Golf Course Superintendent Association of America sent me a little note, ‘Anytime you want to at any of our places let me know,’ so I’m doing this for me, guys.

“I play golf some place and I say, ‘Why did they put their bunker there,’ or ‘Why don’t they cut their grass over here a little bit more?’ Everybody knows how to be a golf course superintendent and a college basketball coach.”

Here is Tuesday's presser: