This is no April Fools' Day joke: North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Roy Williams is retiring.
North Carolina put out this release on Thursday:
After 33 years as a Hall of Fame head coach, our beloved Tar Heel Roy Williams is announcing his retirement.
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
— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) April 1, 2021
Roy Williams became Tar Heels head coach in 2003 after 15 years leading the Kansas Jayhawks, giving him 33 years as a head coach at two of the most prestigious programs in the country. He won 903 games as a college basketball coach.
The 70-year-old Hall of Fame coach will address the media at a press conference on Thursday afternoon.
Roy Williams began his coaching career in the college ranks as an assistant to Dean Smith at North Carolina. But the Hall of Fame coach would get his first head coaching gig at Kansas in 1988. During his time at Kansas, Williams led the Jayhawks to 14 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, four Final Four appearances, and he won nine conference titles.
However, Williams would then reunite with his alma mater in 2003 to propel his career even further with the Tar Heels. While he appeared in plenty of Final Fours at Kansas, Williams led North Carolina to three National Championships. With those 903 wins over the course of his career, he became the fifth head coach in NCAA history to reach 900 or more wins.
The Tar Heels haven't been able to mirror the same success Roy Williams has had over the years in recent seasons. With that being said, that doesn't diminish the legacy that Williams created during his time at North Carolina. Whoever becomes the next head coach of the Tar Heels has some big shoes to fill.
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