CHAPEL HILL - He's not in Kansas anymore.
He's in Chapel Hill, back where he belongs, and back where North Carolina wants him.
When he was introduced, his new players stood in unison and applauded vigorously, broad grins adorning their faces from ear to ear. After three years of waiting, Roy Williams, their Savior, had finally arrived. His charge was simple - to resurrect the North Carolina basketball program.
This is wonderful news for several reasons and for several institutions: UNC will be good at basketball again; the Mike Krzyzewski-Gary Williams-Roy Williams-Skip Prosser quartet will comprise the nation's most prolific coaching competition and rivalry; Duke-UNC will once again be given the respect and admiration it deserves as the best rivalry in all of sports.
There is no doubt that Williams will have immediate success at UNC, both on and off the basketball court. In just his second season at Kansas - also his second as a head coach - Williams racked up 30 wins. In 15 seasons with the Jayhawks, Kansas only missed the NCAA tournament in Williams' opening season, and it never lost in the opening round. He has been named the national coach of the year three times. If that's not enough, he holds the highest winning percentage of all active coaches at .805, and has led his teams to the Final Four four times.
For North Carolina, however, what's most important about Williams is his dedication to teaching and leading-traits which former head coach Matt Doherty lacked. Williams is so attached to his players that he nearly declined the UNC offer twice, both times arriving at the brink of remaining in Lawrence, Kan., by seeing a photo of one of his prized players nearby.
But Williams made it clear that his heart was not left in Kansas, but is firmly set with his players in North Carolina, whom he addressed often yesterday at a press conference.
"I will respect you, I will work with you, I will work for you," Williams said, looking at his new team sitting to his left. "I expect you to play unbelievably hard and I expect you to be unbelievably unselfish with the single goal of our team doing well. You will sacrifice and in the end you will be rewarded for "Today has been extremely hard, as the last four days have been to make this decision," Williams said. "I wanted to coach both, but you can't. Last time I decided to stay because it was the right thing. This time I decided to leave because it was the right thing."
Williams' hiring comes on the heels of a three-year rollercoaster, both internally and externally, for one of the nation's most storied programs. The Tar Heels experienced quick success when Doherty was hired, but after the worst season in Tar Heel history in 2001-2002 coupled with an NIT berth last season and constant grumblings that the players were unhappy, Doherty was quickly forced out the door two weeks ago.
"[Last season's UNC team was] having as much fun as we were having," Williams said. "So one of my goals is that I want us to have fun. The bad thing about it is one of the ways to have fun is to win. So you have to work your tails off for that part. But, we're going to win."
Now, the Carolina faithful are hoping Williams can restore the program to stability and its former grace.
"I've had several former players say 'Coach, we need you,'" Williams said. "All the former players I ever see... they know I care about them.... I haven't been here in 15 years and there's not a Carolina player in those 15 years who I wouldn't yell at and run across the street to hug. I don't think we'll have a problem with that."
Williams said that he planned to bring former Kansas assistant coach Steve Robinson to North Carolina to join his staff. Robinson, a former head coach a Florida State, was with Williams at Kansas for many years before leaving and then returning for the past season. Williams said he also planned to bring his other assistants from Kansas, but wasn't sure who would be accompanying him yet because some of them may be candidates for the Jayhawk head coaching job.
Williams signed an eight-year contract worth an annual salary of $260,000, as well as bonuses for making the NCAA Tournament, the Elite Eight, a graduation rate equal to that of the student body. Williams said that he would not accept the last bonus, however, as making his players graduate is simply part of doing his job.
The fastest coach in NCAA history to reach 400 wins, Williams has taken Kansas to nine Big XII championships and four Final Fours - including the past two - n the last 15 seasons. With a career record of 418-101, Williams has the highest winning percentage among active coach with a minimum of six years experience and has taken Kansas to the NCAA Tournament in every season but his first.
Williams is also known as one of the greatest coaches never to win a national title game. He has twice lost in the NCAA finals, once in 1991 to Duke 72-65 and most recently in 2003 to Syracuse 81-78.
"I received a phone call today from [Kansas Chancellor Robert Hemenway] who was most gracious and he said 'we're sending you a treasure'." North Carolina Chancellor James Moeser said. "Welcome home, Roy."
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