The ties between Kansas basketball and North Carolina basketball go back decades. As two of the most successful programs in the history of college basketball, their paths have intertwined through memorable matchups and through multiple Hall of Fame coaches.
Legendary North Carolina coach Dean Smith played at KU under Phog Allen and helped the team win the 1952 National Championship. Former Kansas coach Larry Brown was an assistant under Smith at North Carolina during the 1965-67 seasons and would eventually coach at KU from 1983 to 1988 – leading KU to the 1988 National Championship.
But no coach has experience between the two programs like Roy Williams.
Williams was a North Carolina alumnus who (like Brown) got his start in coaching college basketball under Smith at North Carolina from 1978 to 1988. While there, he helped lead the Tar Heels to the 1982 National Championship with players such as Michael Jordan, James Worthy, and Sam Perkins.
After Brown departed KU for the NBA following the 1988 season, Williams finally got his head coaching opportunity and took over the reigns in Lawrence.
Williams had tremendous success at KU, leading the program to 14 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, four Final Fours, and two national runner-up finishes in his 15 years at Kansas. He coached numerous All-Americans and currently has the third most wins in school history behind Bill Self and Allen.
In 2003, Williams left KU to take over as head coach at his alma mater – a decision that sent shockwaves through the Kansas Jayhawk community. It caused a lot of animosity from KU fans towards Williams who told fans he would never leave.
But it was the second time North Carolina came calling and after a call from his mentor, Dean Smith, he just couldn’t say no again.
As time went on, KU fans began to forgive and understand why Williams had to leave. That acceptance really culminated when Williams famously wore a KU sticker as a spectator watching KU take on Memphis in the 2008 National Championship after just beating his North Carolina team in the Final Four two days prior.
Ever since he left KU, Williams has been a supporter when not coaching against the Jayhawks.
In 2012, when KU fan Josh Swade was making his pitch to donors to help procure James Naismith’s original copy of the rules of “Basket Ball,” Williams offered his support by saying that the rules should end up in Allen Fieldhouse.
After retiring from North Carolina in 2021, he’s watched multiple KU games in person. And when being inducted into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2022, Williams said “I’m a Jayhawk.”
That strong connection Williams has to both schools is why he won’t be attending the matchup between the two storied programs inside Allen Fieldhouse on Friday night.
“There is no way that I can go into Allen Fieldhouse and clap when the other team scores a basket,” .
While it’s disappointing that we won’t see Williams – who has meant so much to each program and each fanbase – in the crowd when KU and North Carolina face off this weekend, his response shows how much love and respect he still has for KU.
Roy Williams will always be a Jayhawk.