CHAPEL HILL — Roy Williams, who led the University of North Carolina to three NCAA championships, is retiring after 33 seasons and 903 wins as a college basketball head coach.
The 2007 Naismith Hall of Fame inductee will address the media at a press conference on Roy Williams Court at the Dean E. Smith Center today (Thursday, April 1) at 4 p.m.
The press conference is closed to the public. Fans may watch at GoHeels.com.
Williams, a 1972 UNC graduate, just concluded his 18th season as the head coach at his alma mater. In addition to NCAA titles in 2005, 2009 and 2017, he led the Tar Heels to a 485-163 record, two other Final Fours, nine ACC regular-season championships and three ACC tournament crowns.
MORE: Roy Williams names his top players in 10 categories
Here is a statement from NCAA Senior Vice President of Basketball Dan Gavitt on Williams:
"The NCAA congratulates Coach Roy Williams on his remarkable coaching career, which spanned more than four decades at two of the great programs in the history of college basketball. The 900-plus wins, nine Final Fours, six appearances in the national title game and three national championships at Kansas and North Carolina add up to a Hall of Fame career that is among the greatest in the history of coaching, yet his greatest legacy may be the successful young men he mentored and developed. We thank Coach Williams for his many contributions to college basketball, and while we’ll all miss seeing him on the sidelines, we’re thrilled for the additional opportunities he now has to be with his loved ones."
Roy Williams' career highlights
- 48 seasons as a basketball coach, including 33 seasons as a college head coach (18 at UNC, 15 at Kansas), 10 as assistant coach at UNC and five as head coach at Owen High School in Black Mountain, N.C.
- 2007 inductee to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame
- Third all-time in wins by a Division I head coach with 903
- Reached 900 wins in fewer games (1,161) and seasons (33) than any coach in NCAA history
- 903 wins in 33 seasons is 100 more than any other coach in NCAA history (803 by Mike Krzyzewski, 802 by Dean Smith)
- Second-winningest coach in UNC history and third in Kansas history
- Only coach in history with 400 wins at two schools
- Sixth-highest winning percentage (.774) in NCAA history
- Led UNC to three NCAA championships (2005, 2009, 2017)
- Third to take teams to the NCAA tournament at least 30 times
- Consensus National Coach of the Decade (2000-09)
- Led UNC and Kansas to nine Final Fours, fourth most all-time
- Second in NCAA tournament wins (79), second in No. 1 seeds (13), second in games (105), third in NCAA tournament winning percentage (.745) and tied for fourth in NCAA championships
- NCAA-record eight wins over Associated Press No. 1-ranked teams
- Second in NCAA history in 30-win seasons (12) and tied for fourth in 20-win seasons (29)
- Tied for fifth all-time with 18 regular-season conference championships
- Third all-time in ACC regular-season wins (212)
- Third-most ACC road wins (93) and fourth-highest ACC road winning percentage all-time (.604)
- Second-most wins (208) in first 300 ACC regular-season games
- 32 NBA first-round draft picks (22 at UNC, 10 at Kansas)
- 52 former players in the NBA
- Four National Players of the Year, six ACC Scholar-Athletes of the Year, 10 consensus first-team All-Americas, 17 first-team All-Americas and three Bob Cousy Award winners
- Only coach to coach two Academic All-Americas of the Year (Jacque Vaughn at Kansas, Tyler Zeller at UNC)
The Williams record
Overall: 903-264, 33 seasons (.774)
Record at UNC: 485-163, 18 seasons (.748)
NCAA Championships (3): 2005, 2009, 2017 at UNC
Final Fours (9): 1991, 1993, 2002, 2003 at Kansas; 2005, 2008, 2009, 2016, 2017 at UNC
NCAA tournament: 79-27 (.745)
NCAA tournament at UNC: 45-13 (.776)
NCAA Finals: 3-3
NCAA Finals at UNC: 3-1
National Championship Games (6): 1991, 2003 at Kansas; 2005, 2009, 2016, 2017 at UNC
National Semifinals: 6-3
National Semifinals at UNC: 4-1
NCAA Elite 8s (13): 1991, 1993, 1996, 2002, 2003 at Kansas; 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2016, 2017 at UNC
NCAA Elite 8: 9-4 (5-3 at UNC)
NCAA Sweet 16s (19): 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2002 and 2003 at Kansas; 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019 at UNC
NCAA Sweet 16: 13-6 (8-2 at UNC)
NCAA 2nd Round: 19-10 (10-5 at UNC)
NCAA 1st Round: 29-1 (15-1 at UNC)
Conference regular-season titles (18): 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2003 at Kansas; 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2019 at UNC
ACC regular-season: 212-94 (.693)
ACC home: 119-33 (.783)
ACC road: 93-61 (.604)
ACC tournament: 29-15 (.659)
ACC tournament titles (3): 2007, 2008, 2016
Conference tournaments titles (7): 1992, 1997, 1998, 1999 at Kansas; 2007, 2008, 2016 at UNC
Conference tournaments (ACC and Big 8/12): 52-25
Home: 444-57 (.886)
Home UNC record: 243-41 (.856)
Smith Center UNC record: 241-40 (.858)
Away UNC record: 123-77 (.615)
Against ranked teams (AP poll): 164-134 (most recent vs. Florida State, 3/12/21)
Against No. 1-ranked teams: 8-8
