12/21/24
April 02, 2003
He played for Dean Smith, : but he sure didn't coach like him. After only 3 seasons Matt Doherty steps down as coach of North Carolina. Taking odds on replacements inside...Could be this guy, or this guy, or this guy...???
posted by vito90 to basketball at 08:02 AM - 11 comments
If (and that's a big if) Kansas wins it all next Monday, it's my bet Williams will be going to Carolina in his mind (and his car).
posted by trox at 09:17 AM on April 02, 2003
I don't think it matters if Kansas wins or loses Monday...Roy will go if asked. It's his dream job. I'd say 3 to 1 odds he goes.
posted by monkeyschwa at 10:42 AM on April 02, 2003
ditto. I think it's Roy's job to loose, regarless of Kansas' play this weekend. -- Though the thought of #23 at the helm is fantastic. Sure, there's no reason for him to do it, but what 17 year-old kid would say "no" to Michael Jordan on a recruiting visit? What parent won't want their child to play for Michael Jordan?
posted by herc at 11:52 AM on April 02, 2003
Jordan is already a vital part of the UNC recruiting process, I don't think him being at the helm would make much more of a difference.
posted by corpse at 12:12 PM on April 02, 2003
Doherty handled the recruitment of [Shavlik] Randolph personally, an unusual move for most head coaches, certainly for one at a program like North Carolina. Every day, Doherty sent letters or newspaper clippings or even photographs, like the one of Jordan behind a desk at his office with the Washington Wizards, wearing a T-shirt: "Shav Country."
posted by pitchblende at 12:33 PM on April 02, 2003
And if I may engage in some schadenfreude, what a wonderful disaster this whole situation has been this season and still is for UNC. Players turning on coaches, fans turning on players, fans turning on each other...etc. Seriously, even as a Duke fan, I hope they get their act together, as this mess is bad for the rivalry, bad for the ACC, and bad for college basketball.
posted by pitchblende at 12:41 PM on April 02, 2003
I think the biggest problem was the games other than those Doherty coached against Duke. Given where the programs are currently, he had a better record against them than his predecessor (Wins in 2 out of 3 years).
posted by trox at 02:46 PM on April 02, 2003
Guess I'm in the minority on this one. I think Roy stays. Bottom line is that, in his right mind, Williams realizes that with four Final Fours, he's got the velvet coffin at KU. Going to the wrong job -- even when it's your alma mater -- is a quick ticket to a seat next to Mike Tirico. At the same time, Williams might not be nearly as grounded as television makes him out to be (read: egomaniacal). Also, there's said to be friction between he and the AD, so maybe that puts things over the top. The funny part is that there are good non-NBA people "in the family", other than Williams. Buzz Peterson has better credentials now than Doherty had when he took the gig. If the AD has any stones, I don't think Eddie Fogler would be a bad choice -- he's just tainted by a bad end to his stint at the other Carolina.
posted by jackhererra at 09:12 AM on April 03, 2003
I think Roy stays, too. He was offered the job before Doherty got it, and eventually turned it down, although he apparently came thisclose to accepting it. Once he turned it down, I figured he wouldn't go back on that. But I've heard the same stories about Williams and the Kansas AD not getting along, and he's losing Collison and Hinrich after this year, so maybe it's time.
posted by thescoop at 09:39 AM on April 03, 2003
Well, Roy called speculation about him leaving Kansas "a bunch of garbage" in the Raleigh paper today. The same paper's also raising questions (again) about the competency of UNC AD Dick Baddour: They remember that he waffled on whether to fire Torbush in 1999, waited a year, then fired him in 2000. They remember that he then failed to land Virginia Tech football coach Frank Beamer and ended up with John Bunting, a man who had no major-college head coaching experience but has generated solid support among fans and boosters despite a 3-9 record last season. More than that, they remember that when basketball coach Bill Guthridge retired in the summer of 2000, Baddour failed to land Kansas' Roy Williams and then went against the advice of retired coach Dean Smith by hiring Doherty.
posted by mediareport at 07:26 PM on April 03, 2003
Well number 3 is certainly out, Jordan is hard on his teamates, so you know he'd be tough with those kids. Their parents won't stand for that. Pjus he's had enough of 20 year olds and teenagers. Kenny Smith? Haven't heard that rumor, he should stay in the booth though, same with Brad Daughtry. Karl isn't going anywhere and I highly doubt Brown does either. I expect they will consider Billy Donavan, Rick Majerus, and Bill Self. It would probably be in their best interest to go outside of the family. Unless of course they can get Roy Williams.