. But the Tar Heels advanced to the Final Four. For more than three decades, Coach Guthridge served this University he loved so much with a deep commitment to academic and athletic excellence. Its not what gets remembered for the rest of your life, at least not at a place like North Carolina. He also coached 66 players who were selected in the NBA and/or ABA drafts. Smith, after all, kept an office in the arena for several years after retirement. The people who knew him best werent surprised he went to two Final Fours in three seasons.. He won more games than any college head coach in history after just two seasons and tied N.C. States Everett Case for most coaching victories after three years. Smith and Guthridge had long maintained they'd. Guthridge was a player and then an assistant coach at Kansas State before joining the Tar Heels staff in 1967. Why bring those up? If my answer was no, then Roy wouldve had absolutely zero interest. I wouldve never thought of that in a million years.. In public, he was never going to be the center of attention. He led his first team to the 1998 Final Four and had two players, Vince Carter and Antawn Jamison, selected in the top five picks of the NBA draft. Guthridge was the consensus National Coach of the Year in 1998. 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. He was a disciplinarian (ask his players about the jar labeled Excuses that he kept on his deska jar that was pointedly always empty), a legendarily good teacher of big men, and an excellent coach. Seeded eighth in the South region, North Carolina upset top-seeded Stanford in the second round and continued to the Final Four, where they lost to Florida. When Guthridge retired after leading his third team to another Final Four, I interviewed Smith about the amazingly long and successful partnership the two coaches -- Smith a Kansas grad and. For 30 of his 33 years at Carolina, Guthridge was the behind-the-scenes guy scouting opponents, making sure players got to class on time, disciplining players, getting the players on the bus or airplane and into the hotel, working with office staff on the smallest of details, and recruiting the latter, unlike many coaches, he said he enjoyed immensely. 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. Recharge your batteries, they told him. Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun announced his retirement Thursday. He was my friend, a father figure, a big brother for me just like he was for so many players," current UNC coach Roy Williams said. Or perhaps someone else from Smiths coaching tree, such as George Karl or Eddie Fogler? He also was head golf coach for the Wildcats. How close did Raleigh come to getting an NFL team? It didnt bother me that I was a lousy coach, and when we started winning I was a better coach. He tried to do every one of those little things that drove Coach Smith crazy. If Bill Guthridge doesnt look familiar to you as a UNC-Chapel Hill head basketball coach, theres a very good reason for that. The next day, Kenny Smith said, assistant coach Bill Guthridge wasn't at practice. The spring of 1997, it seemed, was no different. 3 "The End of Absence" Michael Harris. Had McAdoo returned, Smiths team would have been much better positioned to deal with David Thompsons stunning impact on NC State, the ACC and the nation. The little doo-doos got him in the end, Hanners says. He was a friend. But he was also one of the most passionate members of the Carolina basketball family in the last 50 years, and was completely devoted to the Tar Heels, to Smith, and to the University of North Carolina. Yeah, Id say that was more likely than unlikely., I wouldve gone to where I went two years later, he says. As an assistant, Guthridge was renowned for his success in coaching the fundamentals of pivot play to a long series of successful UNC big men, and as the Tar Heels' primary shooting coach. In our prayers. "I'm not up with it," Guthridge said at one point, when he tried to remember taking over as UNC's head coach in 1997 after Smith retired. Perhaps, at last, somewhere in his mind, Coach Guthridge finally made the decision it was time for him to retire from this physical life. Bill Guthridge was a gentleman coach, but a fierce competitor, and an incredibly loyal member of Dean Smiths staff for three decades, said UNC Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham. 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Coach Guthridge was the right choice to lead the transition to another, younger leader of the famed basketball program at the University of North Carolina. The Tar Heels finished first or tied for first in the ACC regular season 16 times, finished second or tied for second in the ACC regular season 11 times and finished third or tied for third in the ACC regular season six times. An assistant to Dean Smith for 30 seasons, Guthridge replaced his former boss when Smith retired in 1997 after 36 years as coach of the Tar Heels. MIAMI: Tulane athletic director Rick Dickson acknowledged he has given the school permission to talk to Green Wave coach Perry Clark about replacing Leonard Hamilton. Ironically, both coaches developed dementia along the way (Coach Smith died in January 2015 of complications from dementia). "When Coach Smith announced he was retiring and that Coach Guthridge was taking over, then it all clicked into place for me," Hanners says. He has saved many scholarships when he has suggested backing off certain players, and of course, has selected some great ones who matriculated at Chapel Hill., UNC coach Bill Guthridge gives instructions during a game in the 99-00 season. The perception of Smiths program might have been that it ran without emotion. Guthridge joined Smith's staff for the 1967-68 season, starting out as the freshman coach and a co-assistant varsity coach and eventually becoming the Hall of Famer's most trusted assistant. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. That includes two as a head coach at Carolina, 10 as a Tar Heel assistant coach and one each as a player and assistant coach at his alma mater, Kansas State. Just like Smith, Guthridge found a way to impact his players beyond teaching them offensive and defensive principles. He spurned offers to interview for head coaching vacancies, preferring to remain out of the spotlight and continuing to team with Smith. Then he retired, too. Bill Guthridge, who led North Carolina to two Final Four appearances in his three seasons as basketball coach of the Tar Heels, will announce his retirement today, the Associated Press reported. But Guthridges request also made Hanners realize that plan might not come to fruition. 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. But theres another alternate history with extreme on-court implications that might have forced his hand. And as an assistant for Smith for nine seasons, he had both a championship pedigree and a deep understanding of how the program operated. Coach Smith always had a plan. Like his lifelong friend and mentor, Coach Dean Smith, he led by example instilling values of kindness, discipline and a strong work ethic. He saw his memory issues coming long before the world did. He said that although he was impressed with the athletic department personnel and basketball program, withdrawing his name was "in the best interest of myself and my family.". You come up one year, and that year you win the national championship. My guess is he would not have been, and then the first call, yes, wouldve been Roy, Baddour says. He joined the UNC staff in 1967 after five years as assistant to Tex Winter at Kansas State. Its funny that were doing this story, Jamison says. Our hope and fervent desire is that the best basketball coach in America will continue to practice his craft at KU, he said Thursday night. End of conversation.. Guthridge became head coach after Smith retired in 1997 and coached the team for three seasons.UNC coach Roy Williams called Guthridge a key . Unfortunately, it took UNC two tries to find that leader. He was extremely special, important to every player, every coach who ever worked here. And for as much as he did enjoy those three seasons, the same obligations that wore Smith down got to Guthridge as well. The family told team spokesman Steve Kirschner that Guthridge died of heart failure and that the coach had lived with a heart condition the past seven years. It was very, very much real and something Smith had to balance with the sentiment that maybe he had left too soon. We offer our deepest condolences to the Guthridge family as they grieve the loss of a wonderful husband and father.. Guthridge was an assistant coach along with Hall of Famer John Thompson under Smith in 1976 when the U.S. won the Olympic gold medal in Montreal. Tim Crothers. He will certainly be remembered for what he did as opposed to what else he might have done. 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. Its often forgotten that he helped engineer the 2000 Final Four run by keeping his team in Charlotte overnight after a disappointing quarterfinal ACC Tournament loss, and pushing them hard in practice on Saturday. With Williams, it was the restoration of the family, three national championships and potentially many more years. He had recently been in an assisted living facility in Chapel Hill. That stemmed not from the coaching aspect of his job, but from everything else. Neither Davis nor athletic director Ron Wellman would comment on his departure. Guthridge, 62, said a few weeks ago that he planned to stay on another five or six years. School officials stressed that Guthridge was not merely a placeholder for then-Kansas coach Roy Williams, signing him to a five-year contract. And everything that happened, for better or worse, led the program to where it is today. As they were chatting, Guthridge, who died in 2015, grabbed Ndiayes arm. 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. It has to be one of those., Williams talked Thursday night with Kansas athletic director Bob Frederick. Guthridge didnt need the change, just wanted to know if he had it. 2 "The End of Absence" Michael Harris, Pt. He was enormously committed to attention to detail and organization, says Dick Baddour, a longtime university administrator who served as athletic director from 1997 to 2011. Coach Guthridge is the best I have ever seen in selecting potential in high school players, Smith once said, according to the teams website. The Kansas native took over the role of head coach following Smith's departure. 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