CHAPEL HILL -- Did you hear that, Mr. Doherty?
That was the sound of inevitability. It was the sound of disgruntled Tar Heel faithful singing in chorus a triumphant, "Doh, eat our shorts." And even those who liked Doherty were glad to have the air cleared and the rumors stopped. It is never good to have strained player-coach relations, rumors of transfers and unhappy players circulating as rampantly as they were in Chapel Hill. Doherty's resignation presumably sends those problems to the wayside.
It was the sound of Tar Heel basketball players complaining to UNC athletic director Dick Baddour about Doherty's lack of leadership, teaching ability and community building. It was the sound of his impending doom at the hands of the Carolina family. And while he had his moments--2001 National Coach of the Year, winning the 2002 Preseason NIT, landing a trio of highly-ranked recruiting classes--Doherty has left an indelibly negative mark in Chapel Hill.
When asked about how the Tar Heel aura was altered under Doherty, Baddour paused for several nervous seconds pondering a diplomatic response.
"I think that there probably are aspects that we have to be concerned about," he said. "And if we've lost any luster we can replace it quite easily."
To rectify the situation, Baddour wants to bring in a big-time coach. To accomplish this, he will probably make someone--likely from the Carolina family--an offer that can't be refused. The job should not be hard to sell, because it is North Carolina. And the program is not in disarray. It is merely hampered with expectations and a frustrated team. But that team is overflowing with talent and expectation--nine of the team's top players are expected to return next season, and as the saying goes, high expectations breed high results.
But will that be enough to lure UNC's top choice? Last time it was not. Kansas head coach Roy Williams turned down UNC three years ago to remain in the corn belt. So the inevitable question to Baddour last night was whether or not Williams would be courted again. The calculated response was that he would not discuss Williams while he was still in season. But Williams is undeniably one of the top candidates for the job. He embodies just about everything UNC Chancellor James Moeser said was required of the Tar Heel basketball coach.
"Coaches... are responsible for creating an environment of learning, for character development and for building a team of good leaders and good citizens," he said. "That's the Carolina standard."
Williams may not have the track record of a Dean Smith or Mike Krzyzewski, but he's pretty close. His work at Kansas over the past decade has been exceptional, as the Jayhawks are a consistent title contender. He is also an unquestionable class act that has a history of good relations with his players. Williams even has ties to UNC's program, which secretly wants to keep all of the school's business in the family. True, Baddour stated that the job search would not be limited to a Carolina family member, but that sentiment must be doubted when considering that Doherty and Williams were two of the top choices the last time a coaching change was made. Currently Williams refuses--and rightfully so--to discuss the situation until after his work is done in New Orleans with his Jayhawks.
In addition to Williams, other well-known names are being tossed around as the possible successors to Doherty--most notably current-NBA head coaches George Karl and Larry Brown. They both have ties to UNC and have expressed interest in coaching the Tar Heels.
However, both are older coaches, rendering themselves unable to remain at UNC for an extended period of time. Another strike for Brown is that he has left two college programs--UCLA and Kansas--with probation. However, he did take both schools to national title games, winning with the Jayhawks in 1988.
Other coaches to look for in the mix are Phil Ford and Brad Daugherty, two guys that could end up as assistants or even interim head coaches. The interim spot could come into play if UNC wants to pick Brown or Karl, both current NBA coaches. An interim coach would be necessary because a current NBA coach cannot be named as a college coach until the NBA season is over. Therefore, an interim would maintain Tar Heel recruiting lines and provide some temporary stability.
Regardless, this was the right move for a team needing a strong leader and coach. And make no mistake, whoever takes the reigns at UNC will have them back to the elite ranks very soon.
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