Roy Williams (basketball coach) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Roy Williams

Williams in 2008
Biographical details
Born	(1950-08-01) August 1, 1950 (age 74) Marion, North Carolina, U.S.
Alma mater	North Carolina ('72)
Playing career
1968–1969	North Carolina (J.V.)
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1973–1978	Charles D. Owen HS
1978–1988	North Carolina (assistant)
1988–2003	Kansas
2003–2021	North Carolina
Head coaching record
Overall	903–264 (.774)
Tournaments	79–27 (NCAA Division I) 4–1 (NIT)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
3× NCAA Division I Tournament (2005, 2009, 2017) 9× NCAA Division I Regional – Final Four (1991, 1993, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2016, 2017) 9× ACC Regular Season (2005, 2007–2009, 2011, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2019) 3× ACC Tournament (2007, 2008, 2016) 4× Big 12 Regular Season (1997, 1998, 2002, 2003) 3× Big 12 Tournament (1997–1999) 5× Big Eight Regular Season (1991–1993, 1995, 1996) Big Eight Tournament (1992)
Awards
USA Today Sports National Coach of the Year (2019) 2× AP Coach of the Year (1992, 2006) 2× Henry Iba Award (1990, 2006) Naismith College Coach of the Year (1997) 2× ACC Coach of the Year (2006, 2011) Adolph Rupp Cup (2006) John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching Award (2003) 3× Big 12 Coach of the Year (1997, 2002, 2003) 4× Big Eight Coach of the Year (1990, 1992, 1995, 1996)
Basketball Hall of Fame Inducted in 2007 (profile)
College Basketball Hall of Fame Inducted in 2006
Medal record Men's basketball Representing  United States Olympic Games Assistant coach for  United States Bronze 2004 Athens Men's basketball FIBA Americas Championship Assistant coach for  United States Gold 2003 San Juan Men's basketball

Roy Allen Williams (born August 1, 1950) is a retired American college basketball coach. He led the North Carolina Tar Heels for 18 seasons and the Kansas Jayhawks for 15 seasons. He is a member of both the College Basketball Hall of Fame (2006) and the Basketball Hall of Fame (2007).

Williams started his college coaching journey as an assistant coach for Dean Smith at North Carolina in 1978. Four years later, the team won the national championship. After ten years, Williams became the head coach at Kansas in 1988. He led Kansas to 14 straight NCAA tournaments and four Final Four appearances. His teams won nine conference titles.

In 2003, Williams returned to his old school, North Carolina, to become their head coach. Over 18 years, he won three national championships. He also reached five Final Fours and won the Atlantic Coast Conference regular season nine times. He won three ACC tournament championships and several Coach of the Year awards. Williams has more wins than his mentor, Dean Smith, at North Carolina.

With 903 total wins, Williams took his teams to nine Final Fours during his career at Kansas and North Carolina. He is one of only a few coaches to reach 900 wins in men's Division I basketball. He is also the only coach in NCAA history to lead two different programs to at least four Final Fours each.

As an assistant coach, Williams helped North Carolina win the 1982 national championship. As a head coach, he coached in six NCAA championship games. He won his first national title in 2005 when the Tar Heels beat Illinois. He won again in 2009 against Michigan State and his third in 2017 against Gonzaga. Williams is one of only six coaches to win at least three national championships.

Growing Up and Early Life

Roy Williams was born in Marion, North Carolina. He spent his early childhood in small towns before his family moved to Asheville. Williams played both basketball and baseball for four years at T. C. Roberson High School.

In basketball, he was named all-county and all-conference for two years. He was also chosen as captain for the North Carolina Blue-White All-Star Game. Williams has said that his high school coach, Buddy Baldwin, was a huge influence on his life.

Williams later played on the freshman team at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He learned a lot about coaching by watching Coach Dean Smith. As a sophomore, Williams would attend Smith's practices, taking notes from the bleachers. He also volunteered to keep statistics and work at Smith's summer camps.

Coaching Career Highlights

Starting as a Coach

Williams' first coaching job was in 1973 at Charles D. Owen High School in Black Mountain, North Carolina. He coached basketball and golf for five years. He also coached ninth-grade football and was the athletic director for two years.

In 1978, Williams returned to the University of North Carolina. He worked as an assistant coach for Dean Smith until 1988. During this time, North Carolina had a great record of 275 wins and 61 losses. They won the NCAA national championship in 1982. Williams also played a key role in recruiting basketball star Michael Jordan to the team.

Coaching at Kansas

In 1988, Williams became the head coach for Kansas basketball. Soon after he started, the team faced a ban from playing in the postseason for the 1988–89 season. This was due to issues that happened before he arrived.

Williams coached Kansas for 15 seasons, from 1988 to 2003. His record there was 418 wins and 101 losses. His teams won nine regular-season conference championships in his last 13 years. In the Big 12 Conference, his teams won the regular-season title four times. They also won the postseason tournament three times.

In the 2001–02 season, Kansas became the first team to go undefeated in Big 12 play. From 1994 to 1998, the Jayhawks won 62 home games in a row at Allen Fieldhouse. This was the longest streak in the NCAA at the time.

Under Williams, Kansas made it to the NCAA Tournament every year except his first season. They reached four Final Fours. They also played in the national championship game twice, in 1991 and 2003, but lost both games. The 1996–97 team had future NBA players like Paul Pierce and Raef LaFrentz.

Williams left Kansas in 2003 to coach at North Carolina. He had been asked to coach there before in 2000. He said his decision was based on his "roots, his dream, and his family." He also mentioned that it was hard to say "no" to Coach Dean Smith twice.

Coaching at North Carolina

When Williams returned to North Carolina, he became the school's third coach in six years. The team had struggled in the years before his arrival. However, they still had talented players like Sean May, Rashad McCants, and Raymond Felton. In his first season (2003–04), North Carolina finished with a good record of 19 wins and 11 losses. They made it to the second round of the NCAA tournament.

First National Championship (2005)

In Williams' second year, the Tar Heels became a top team again. With new freshman Marvin Williams, North Carolina won the National Championship in 2005. This was Roy Williams' first national title as a head coach.

Building a Strong Team (2005–2008)

After winning the championship, many top players left the team. Despite this, the Tar Heels did surprisingly well in 2005–06, thanks in part to freshman Tyler Hansbrough. Williams was named Coach of the Year for his ability to lead a new team to such success.

Williams quickly brought in more talented players, like Brandan Wright, Ty Lawson, and Wayne Ellington. On December 9, 2006, Williams won his 500th game. The 2006–07 team won the ACC regular season and tournament championships. They reached the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament before losing in overtime.

The 2007–08 season was also very successful. The team won another ACC regular season and tournament championship. Williams led the Tar Heels to a school-record 36 wins and the #1 overall ranking. They reached the 2008 Final Four, where they lost to Kansas, Williams' former team.

Second National Championship (2009)

With Tyler Hansbrough back for his senior year, many experts thought the Tar Heels would win the NCAA championship. They started the season as the #1 team. They won their first 13 games before losing to Boston College.

North Carolina secured their third straight ACC regular season title. They earned the top seed in the NCAA South Region. The Tar Heels defeated Radford, LSU, and Gonzaga. They then beat Oklahoma to reach their second straight Final Four in Detroit. An 83–69 victory over Villanova sent them to the national championship game. They played the Michigan State Spartans and Williams won his second title with an 89–72 victory. This was one of the most dominant runs in tournament history. The Tar Heels only trailed for 10 minutes in the entire tournament.

Later Years and Retirement (2009–2021)

The 2009–10 season was a tough one for the Tar Heels. They finished with a 20–17 record, which was Williams' lowest win total. They did not get a bid to the NCAA tournament, but they did make it to the NIT championship game. Williams called this season "the biggest frustration and the biggest disappointment of my professional life."

The Tar Heels started slowly in the 2010–11 season. However, after Williams made a change to the starting lineup, they began winning more. They won the ACC Regular Season Championship. Williams was named ACC Coach of the Year for the second time. The team reached the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament.

Williams in 2011.

The 2011–12 season was successful despite many player injuries. The Tar Heels won another ACC Regular Season Championship. They were awarded the #1 seed in the Midwest bracket of the 2012 NCAA Tournament. Key players were injured during the tournament, and the team lost to Kansas in the Elite Eight.

In the 2012–13 season, Williams earned his 700th career head coaching victory. The Tar Heels finished with 25 wins and 11 losses. The 2013–14 season ended with a loss in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

During the 2015–16 season, Williams led the Tar Heels to their fourth Final Four under his coaching. They also won the regular season and ACC tournament titles. In the 2016 NCAA tournament, North Carolina reached the national championship game. They lost a very close game to Villanova with a last-second shot.

Third National Championship (2017)

Williams led his Tar Heels to their second straight ACC regular season championship. On January 16, 2017, Williams won his 800th game as a head coach. Justin Jackson was named ACC Player of the Year. In the 2017 NCAA Tournament, North Carolina defeated several teams, including Kentucky and Oregon. They beat Gonzaga 71–65 to win their third national title with Roy Williams as coach. The Tar Heels finished the season with a 33–7 record.

Williams in 2018.

In 2018, UNC lost in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament. The 2018–19 season was another impressive one for North Carolina. They finished tied for first in the ACC. Williams was named the USA TODAY Sports National Coach of the Year. The Tar Heels made it to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA tournament.

On November 27, 2019, Williams tied Adolph Rupp for 5th in all-time wins with his 876th career victory. He then moved into 5th place two days later. On January 25, 2020, Williams reached 880 career wins, moving past his mentor Dean Smith.

The 2019–20 season was Williams' first losing season in his college coaching career. The team finished 14–19. On February 27, 2021, Williams won his 900th game, becoming the fastest men’s coach to reach this milestone in Division I history. On March 11, 2021, he won his 903rd game, passing Bobby Knight for third on the all-time Division I wins list.

The Tar Heels lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament in 2021. This was the first time Williams had lost in this round as a head coach.

On April 1, 2021, Roy Williams announced his retirement after 48 years as a coach. He was a head coach for 33 years, with 18 of those at North Carolina. His total record was 903 wins and 264 losses. He was replaced by his assistant coach, Hubert Davis.

Personal Life

Roy Williams is married to Wanda. They have a son, Scott, and a daughter. His son, Scott, played basketball at North Carolina.

In 2009, Williams released his autobiography, Hard Work: A Life On and Off the Court. In the book, he talks about his life, including his childhood and his coaching career. He also discusses his difficult decision to leave Kansas for North Carolina.

Williams had surgery in September 2012 to remove a tumor from his right kidney.

In March 2021, Roy and Wanda Williams donated $3 million to the University of North Carolina. This money helps support various scholarships. Williams also donated $600,000 during the COVID-19 pandemic to help spring sport athletes get an extra year of scholarship eligibility.

Roy and Wanda Williams built a home in Flat Rock, Henderson County, North Carolina in 2012. They moved there after Roy retired.

Awards and Recognition

Basketball Hall of Fame Jersey on display at the North Carolina Sport Hall of Fame

• Big Eight Coach of the Year (1990, 1992, 1995, 1996)
• Henry Iba Award (1990, 2006)
• AP Coach of the Year (1992, 2006)
• Naismith College Coach of the Year (1997)
• Big 12 Coach of the Year (1997, 2002, 2003)
• John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching Award (2003)
• ACC Coach of the Year (2006, 2011)
• Elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007.
• Named America's Best College Basketball Coach by Forbes in 2009.
• Named Coach of the Decade for the 2000s by Sporting News.
• USA Today National Coach of the Year (2019)

In December 2021, a part of Interstate 40 was named "Roy Williams Highway" in his honor.

Coaching Record

Coaching Tree

Many former players and assistant coaches who worked with Roy Williams later became coaches themselves. Here are some of them:

• Jeff Boschee: Missouri Southern (2014–present)
• Hubert Davis: North Carolina (2021–present)
• Matt Doherty: Notre Dame (1999–2000), North Carolina (2000–2003), Florida Atlantic (2005–2006), SMU (2006–2012)
• Neil Dougherty: TCU (2002–2008)
• Blake Flickner: Dallas Baptist (2006–present)
• Jerry Green: Oregon (1992–1997), Tennessee (1997–2001)
• Jerod Haase: UAB (2012–2016), Stanford (2016–2024)*
• C.B. McGrath: UNC Wilmington (2017–2020)*
• Ben Miller: UNC Pembroke (2008–2019)
• Wes Miller: UNC Greensboro (2011–2021), Cincinnati (2021–present)
• Steve Robinson: Tulsa (1995–1997), Florida State (1997–2002)
• Kevin Stallings: Illinois State (1993-1999), Vanderbilt (1999-2016), Pittsburgh (2016-2018)
• Mark Turgeon: Jacksonville State (1998–2000), Wichita State (2000–2007), Texas A&M (2007–2011), Maryland (2011–2021)*
• Jacque Vaughn: Orlando Magic (2012–2015), Brooklyn Nets (2016-2024)
• Rex Walters: Florida Atlantic (2006–2008), San Francisco (2008–2016)

(*) indicates a former player who also served as an assistant coach to Williams.

See also

In Spanish: Roy Williams para niños

• List of college men's basketball career coaching wins leaders
• List of NCAA Division I Men's Final Four appearances by coach