netviper13
04-14-03, 05:32 PM
Although the official announcement won't come until later this evening, it's been made quite apparent that Roy Williams will leave KU for North Carolina.
"LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) -- Three years after passing on a chance to coach his beloved alma matter, Roy Williams is leaving Kansas to take over the storied men's basketball program at North Carolina, two people in Monday's players' meeting said.
"It's sad for the program and the players who are here," said Jeff Boschee, who graduated last year. "It's tough for them. I don't know how I would have handled it."
Williams' return to Chapel Hill ends his 15-year tenure at the helm of a historic program that he made one of college basketball's most successful.
Faced again with a choice of Kansas or North Carolina, Williams offered what sounded like a farewell Monday to reporters outside Allen Fieldhouse, as a jet waited nearby with a flight plan filed for Chapel Hill, N.C.
"This is personal, fellas, there is something I want to say," Williams told reporters after asking for television cameras to be turned off. "This has been a special place. I really appreciate the way you have treated me."
After a 31-minute meeting with his Kansas players Monday afternoon, a teary Williams emerged to tell about 50 reporters, "I know it's hard for you guys to understand, but there will be a news conference at 9:30 Eastern time."
North Carolina called a news conference for that hour, though the topic wasn't announced. One Tar Heel player outside the Smith Center in Chapel Hill would only smile when asked if he knew whether Williams was coming.
"I think that's who Mr. Baddour had his eye on since coach Doherty left," said freshman center Damion Grant. "He's obviously part of the Carolina family. With him coming back here, ... it would definitely be good for the program."
Not all of the Kansas players had the same sad reaction to the news as did Boschee.
Wayne Simien, who dislocated his shoulder in January and later underwent season-ending surgery, appeared angry after the meeting.
"I gave my right arm for him, literally," said Simien, who still had his arm in a sling. "I gave my right arm for that man."
Stephen Vinson, a freshman walk-on, said of the meeting, "I'm sure you can imagine it was not a good time in there."
Asked if there were a lot of tears, he said, "You can imagine. Different guys had different emotions."
Kansas chancellor Robert Hemenway said a statement from the school's administration would come at the same time as North Carolina's news conference.
Williams was just the seventh full-time coach in Kansas history, a list that includes James Naismith and Phog Allen. He was on pace to easily surpass the records Allen set during his 39 years on the Jayhawks' bench.
The fastest coach in NCAA Division I history to win 400 games, with a current overall record of 418-101, Williams won nine conference championships at Kansas and took the Jayhawks to the past 14 NCAA tournaments.
In their fourth Final Four under Williams, his Jayhawks lost the national championship a week ago to Syracuse, 81-78.
In June 2000, Williams spent an agonizing week following the retirement of North Carolina coach Bill Guthridge, forced to choose between two programs that desperately wanted him. After a weeklong vacation at his home in South Carolina, and a day spent in Lawrence thinking it over, Williams announced his decision as 16,000 Jayhawk fans waited at Memorial Stadium.
"I'm staying," Williams said, simply.
But Williams never expected Matt Doherty, his former assistant at Kansas and a North Carolina's second choice in 2000, would be out so soon as the Tar Heels' coach.
Given that second chance, Williams took another week to think.
This time, the decision was different."
"LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) -- Three years after passing on a chance to coach his beloved alma matter, Roy Williams is leaving Kansas to take over the storied men's basketball program at North Carolina, two people in Monday's players' meeting said.
"It's sad for the program and the players who are here," said Jeff Boschee, who graduated last year. "It's tough for them. I don't know how I would have handled it."
Williams' return to Chapel Hill ends his 15-year tenure at the helm of a historic program that he made one of college basketball's most successful.
Faced again with a choice of Kansas or North Carolina, Williams offered what sounded like a farewell Monday to reporters outside Allen Fieldhouse, as a jet waited nearby with a flight plan filed for Chapel Hill, N.C.
"This is personal, fellas, there is something I want to say," Williams told reporters after asking for television cameras to be turned off. "This has been a special place. I really appreciate the way you have treated me."
After a 31-minute meeting with his Kansas players Monday afternoon, a teary Williams emerged to tell about 50 reporters, "I know it's hard for you guys to understand, but there will be a news conference at 9:30 Eastern time."
North Carolina called a news conference for that hour, though the topic wasn't announced. One Tar Heel player outside the Smith Center in Chapel Hill would only smile when asked if he knew whether Williams was coming.
"I think that's who Mr. Baddour had his eye on since coach Doherty left," said freshman center Damion Grant. "He's obviously part of the Carolina family. With him coming back here, ... it would definitely be good for the program."
Not all of the Kansas players had the same sad reaction to the news as did Boschee.
Wayne Simien, who dislocated his shoulder in January and later underwent season-ending surgery, appeared angry after the meeting.
"I gave my right arm for him, literally," said Simien, who still had his arm in a sling. "I gave my right arm for that man."
Stephen Vinson, a freshman walk-on, said of the meeting, "I'm sure you can imagine it was not a good time in there."
Asked if there were a lot of tears, he said, "You can imagine. Different guys had different emotions."
Kansas chancellor Robert Hemenway said a statement from the school's administration would come at the same time as North Carolina's news conference.
Williams was just the seventh full-time coach in Kansas history, a list that includes James Naismith and Phog Allen. He was on pace to easily surpass the records Allen set during his 39 years on the Jayhawks' bench.
The fastest coach in NCAA Division I history to win 400 games, with a current overall record of 418-101, Williams won nine conference championships at Kansas and took the Jayhawks to the past 14 NCAA tournaments.
In their fourth Final Four under Williams, his Jayhawks lost the national championship a week ago to Syracuse, 81-78.
In June 2000, Williams spent an agonizing week following the retirement of North Carolina coach Bill Guthridge, forced to choose between two programs that desperately wanted him. After a weeklong vacation at his home in South Carolina, and a day spent in Lawrence thinking it over, Williams announced his decision as 16,000 Jayhawk fans waited at Memorial Stadium.
"I'm staying," Williams said, simply.
But Williams never expected Matt Doherty, his former assistant at Kansas and a North Carolina's second choice in 2000, would be out so soon as the Tar Heels' coach.
Given that second chance, Williams took another week to think.
This time, the decision was different."