The great NCAA Men’s College Basketball coach, Roy Williams, has retired after 33 years of college coaching with 903 wins and a 77% winning percentage. What defines greatness? Is it Championships? Is it longevity? Is it how many players you put in the NBA? Is it principles? Coach Williams had all of it: 3 National Titles, a 33 year collegiate head coaching career, 21 players who played in the NBA, 2 years after joining UNC he won a National Title (principles and discipline) and many regular-season and tournament Championships. He’s also the only NCAA college coach to have 400 wins coaching 2 different teams. So based on that, he is one of the greatest…ever.
He’s one of 6 coaches to have 3 or more titles, 4th in Final Fours (9), 3rd in Championship games (6), 2nd most NCAA Tournament wins (79), 3rd most Final Four wins (9), and 2nd most NCAA Tournament No. 1 seeds (13). In his college career, he’s coached against 210 unique opponents. Of those 210 unique opponents, how many does he have a losing record against?
12
12. Twelve. T-W-E-L-V-E. That means he has a winning or tied record against 198 schools. That’s a winning record against 94.3% of the schools he’s faced. Want more? 142 of those schools, Coach Williams is undefeated against. 142 of them. Yes, undefeated. Auburn, Belmont, Butler, Duke, Georgetown, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Texas, UTEP are the only schools to be on the W side against Coach Williams. Duke is where this story finally begins, at 19-25 against Duke. That’s a whole lot of games, 44 to be exact, at Kansas (15 years) and UNC (18 years). It all started in 1988 when he took over the head coaching position at Kansas. 15 years later, in 2003, he took over the head coaching role at UNC…transforming the school back into a powerhouse program.
We had the joy of watching Coach Williams go against another top coach, and current wins leader, Coach Mike Krzyzewski. CLASSIC games that we all had the pleasure to watch. Duke holds the edge when Coach Williams was at Kansas (1-3) and while at UNC (18-22). Coach Williams and Coach K have coached some of the most classic games in college basketball. Using chess like strategies with the hopes of eventually yelling checkmate. It all started in 1989 when Duke beat Kansas by almost 30 points in Williams’ first year in Kansas. I’m not sure anyone would’ve beaten Duke the day Danny Ferry’s jersey was retired. The first and only NCAA title game matchup was in 1991, with Duke winning by 8 to claim their first NCAA title. They two rivals would meet again in 2000 in the NCAA Tournament 2nd round, with Duke moving on in the tournament. The Sweet 16 was sweet for Kansas in Coach Williams’ final season at Kansas, 2003. A 69-65 victory over Duke which sets the stage for the next chapter.
Roy Williams took over a struggling and undisciplined program at UNC. He had a lot of work to do. But for some reason, regardless of season records, the Duke vs UNC matchup usually results in a game for the ages. In 2004, the very first game the two coaches squared off in the ACC, the game went to overtime. The game was tied with 6.5 seconds left when a reverse layup by Chris Duhon gave Duke the 83-81 victory. What a way to start the rivalry up again. In 2005, UNC had the upper hand on their Senior Day while getting the win and clinching their first ACC regular-season title since 1993. UNC overcame a 9 point deficit with 3:00 left in the game (holding Duke scoreless) to grab the 75-73 win. The next year, 2006, Duke’s Senior Night (J.J. Redick, Shelden Williams) saw UNC spoil the night with a 83-76 win holding off a final Duke comeback. Why not keep the classics coming? 2012 a 1 point win by Duke erasing a 10 point deficit in 2:09. Another classic OT game, Duke winning 92-90 in OT, with Duke erasing a 7 point deficit in under 2:30 to tie the game and launch it into OT. The ACC Tournament Semi-Final in 2019 had Zion Williamson play his first game against UNC (I don’t think the 30 seconds of Game 1 counts) and it couldn’t have come at a better time. The game was neck and neck with Williamson scoring 31 points when it mattered most, 74-73 Duke win. 2020 had 1 last final classic between these 2 coaches, an off balance shot off a rebound by Duke gave them a 98-96 win. In 2021, UNC easily won against Duke to secure two more victories for Coach Williams. It ends on a high note for Coach Williams.
We will miss the classics. We will miss the class. The rivalry will continue between Duke and UNC but it will not quite be the same. Happy Retirement, Coach Williams.
Time Out With Jenn & Lisa 