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Some shocking news dropped early on Thursday morning out of Chapel Hill. North Carolina Tar Heels basketball coach and coaching legend, Roy Williams, has announced his intentions to retire.
A release was sent out by the North Carolina Twitter account.
After 33 years as a Hall of Fame head coach, our beloved Tar Heel Roy Williams is announcing his retirement.
— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) April 1, 2021
Thank you for all you have done and meant to everyone who plays and loves our game.
Release : https://t.co/l6y5tRjB2I pic.twitter.com/FzTUmbx3v1
And just to clarify, this is not an April Fool’s joke.
Williams retires after 33 season coaching, which featured a Hall of Fame career at Kansas before he left for North Carolina to create a second Hall of Fame career in Chapel Hill. Williams led UNC to three National Championships in 2005, 2009 and 2017 in 18 season in Chapel Hill. Williams also led the Tar Heels to two other Final Four appearances in 2005 and 2016.
Coach Williams is third all-time on the Division-I wins list at 903. Williams is expected to address the media today at 4 PM today at the Dean Smith Center.
The Tar Heels job comes open for the first time since 2003, when Williams took over the Tar Heels after leading Kansas to a National Championship game appearance.
Whoever North Carolina hires, they will have massive shoes to fill following the footsteps of a legend.
From a Kentucky fan, I’ll miss Roy on the sidelines of the Kentucky-UNC game every other season.
Alongside of this it has come out that Chris Beard has decided to make a change of scenery.
Jeff Goodman is reporting that Chris Beard has decided to return to his alma mater and take the head coaching job at Texas.
BREAKING: Texas is hiring Texas Tech coach Chris Beard, source told @Stadium.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) April 1, 2021
Beard will be leaving Texas Tech after a successful five year in Lubbock. In those five seasons Beard lead the Ted Raiders to a record of 112-55 overall including being the National Runner-up in the 2018-19 season, and making an Elite Eight appearance in 2017-18. He was also named the AP Coach of the Year in 2019, and Big XII Coach of the year in 2018 and 2019.
Beard has been a hot name in coaching circles for the last several seasons, and was a guy many expected to land at a blue-blood program when one became available. Texas sure made a wise move getting him locked up now before North Carolina could pursue.
It appears now though he will be locked in at for the Longhorns, and trying to continue this path of success in Austin while challenging the Kansas Jayhawks and Baylor Bears as the best team in the Big 12.