Roy Williams is one of the most decorated NCAA coaches and is known as one of the instrumental people in recruiting Michael Jordan to North Carolina. Roy spent 15 years coaching the Kansas Jayhawks and 18 more as the head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels . However, before becoming head coach, Williams had to work his way through the ranks and take on some risks during the journey.
From high school coach to assistant at UNC: Williams’ big break
Roy became an assistant coach for the Tar Heels in 1978, but before that, he was the head coach of the Charles D. Owen High School basketball team for five years. At one point, an opportunity to join the NCAA presented itself to the Marion, NC native.
“Coach Smith asked me to work camp and was really pleased with the job that I did in camp,” Williams said on the “Run your Race” podcast.
“And so I came back five straight summers, and then all of a sudden, uh, North Carolina, the Tar Heels were the last school in the ACC to hire a third assistant coach. Coach Smith had Eddie Fogler and Bill Guthridge, and that was it. And the third spot was part-time assistant. And what that was according to Coach Smith, and he was really right. It was a full-time job, part-time pay.”