It was profoundly hard for Coach Guthridge to watch his lifetime friend become forgetful and lose the memories they shared together, not just as the architects of a fantastic and highly-ethical college basketball program, but as friends who regarded each other and their respective families as their own. But the season, and that loss specifically, never faded from their collective consciousness. Guthridge initially gained recognition after serving for thirty years as Dean Smith's assistant at the University of North Carolina and summing many wins as a result. Not only did he coach me on the freshman team, he was my coach, another mentor, a friend, a father figure, a big brother for me just like he was for so many players. The complaints turned to praise after the teams unlikely Final Four appearance. 17 Miami at Cameron Indoor stadium, Report: Sylvia Hatchell made racially insensitive remarks, forced players to compete while hurt, NC State makes NIT, AD Debbie Yow upset Wolfpack not invited to Big Dance, NC State extends Doeren's contract through 2023, UNC women continue on despite Hatchell's absence, Forty years later, the story of '83 never gets old for NC State, Interactive 2023 NCHSAA boys & girls basketball state playoff brackets, What 7 classes could look like in the NCHSAA if realignment amendment passes, Raleigh-Durham Skyhawks: The football team that never won, Raising money for cancer research, playing golf and being a grandparent: Roy Williams dons retirement hat in style, Top sports stories of 2022 from WRAL SportsFan - The Biggest Sports Stories of 2022, Complete HSOT all-state football team revealed, HSOT Watch List: Boys basketball players to look out for in the 2022-2023 season, North Carolina high school sports scoreboard, 'Going to get left behind': NC State, Duke, UNC hope transfer portal delivers for men's basketball teams, If the Los Angeles Lakers stumble to start 2022-23 season, Mike Krzyzewski is waiting in 'retirement', The Fan plays 'Dungeons & Dragons' for ACC realignment, Former NC State AD Lee Fowler on ACC's 2005 expansion: 'It was a crazy 24 hours'. Guthridge went 80-28 from 1997 to 2000 before retiring in June 2000. The protege was named Naismith College Coach of the Year in his first season as Smith's replacement. He was enormously committed to attention to detail and organization, says Dick Baddour, a longtime university administrator who served as athletic director from 1997 to 2011. It has to be one of those., Williams talked Thursday night with Kansas athletic director Bob Frederick. Calhoun, elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2005, is . In our prayers. [6], National champion Guthridge didn't bother to recruit Jason Williams,. "Needless to say I'm tired of having meetings like this." Ill really miss this next years team and what those guys have done for me, said Guthridge, whose team last season reached the Final Four before being eliminated in the semifinals. I think its time to turn it over to somebody else, he said at a campus news conference. He stepped down 2 months later. In 1998, Guthridge inherited a team that had been to the 1997 Final Four the previous year under Smith. Smith, after all, kept an office in the arena for several years after retirement. However, it was Coach Guthridges incurable heart condition that led to his development of vascular dementia, and with its progression, his placement for the last several years in a Chapel Hill assisted living facility. His lack of recruiting is why they went 8-20 shortly thereafter. He has saved many scholarships when he has suggested backing off certain players, and of course, has selected some great ones who matriculated at Chapel Hill., UNC coach Bill Guthridge gives instructions during a game in the 99-00 season. And so even as the coachs hair changed from dark brown to gray to white, his position never did. He was a lifetime assistant coach for whom Dean did a solid. The people who knew him best werent surprised he went to two Final Fours in three seasons.. When he reached the decision to step down during that summer of 1997, no one could have changed his mind, even if given the opportunity to do so. But against the Utes, the Tar Heels fell behind quickly and were never able to catch up. But the Tar Heels advanced to the Final Four. They made sure we knew it wasnt the most important thing in the world, but that we had been given a talent, and it was our job to use it., The Carolina community mourns the passing of Bill Guthridge, a great coach, devoted friend and loyal Tar Heel. That startling decision equated to the ultimate professional sacrifice. He handed out handwritten notes instead. Now Guthridge, 77, is enduring a similarly cruel fate . I enjoyed my 30 years as an assistant coach, and Ive enjoyed my three years as a head coach.. He was inducted into the N.C. Sports Hall of Fame in 2013. After waiting an uncharacteristically long time to respond, he smiled and thanked me. Ironically, both coaches developed dementia along the way (Coach Smith died in January 2015 of complications from dementia). I will miss his kindness and wisdom. There were reports that Michigan was interested in him at the time His only drawback was a DUI arrest in September 1998, after which he was temporarily placed on leave. Guthridge, who like Smith was a Kansas native, spent 30 years as an assistant coach and had ample opportunities to leave Chapel Hill and become the coach of his own program. He set NCAA records for most wins by a first-year head coach with 34, and for wins in his first two years with 58. Guthridge joined Smith's staff for the 1967-68 season, starting out as the freshman coach and a co-assistant varsity coach and eventually becoming the Hall of Famer's most trusted assistant. Guthridge did it all with a dry wit and style. Smith and Guthridge had long maintained theyd retire together, the natural conclusion to a three-decade partnership in Chapel Hill. He was a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. But Baddour explained to the chancellor that because of Williams respect for Guthridge, hed never have taken the job over his friend. As good a person as I ever met. One of his most tempestuous relationships had been with guard Shammond Williams, who even walked off the court at Virginia on one occasion. Coach Smith had so many strengths and very few weaknesses. As he famously said at Smiths retirement news conference, I always thought we would ride off into the sun together.. In that July or August period, when Coach Smith basically told Coach Guthridge for the very last time in his life, Im not ready, Im not gonna do it again, then I think Coach Guthridge told him at that point that hed really like to try, Hanners says. Guthridge became head coach after Smith retired in 1997 and coached the team for three seasons.UNC coach Roy Williams called Guthridge a key . Frederick said he wanted to emphasize to Williams how strongly the university, the community, the people in the state of Kansas and all of our alumni and fans feel about him continuing as the Jayhawk coach forever.. Current coach Roy Williams referenced Smith's death, which occurred on Feb. 7 of this year, when commenting onGuthridge, via Andrew Carter of theCharlotte Observer: Here's Roy. Williams and Ndiaye both graduated. After Coach Guthridge's retirement in 2003, he and Coach Smith stayed in close contact, visiting each other frequently. Baddour says he never got that far down the line because of Guthridges interest. All the scheduling calls, speeches for adoring donors, piles and piles of paperwork that accompanied seemingly everything he did. In Guthridge's final season, he went 18-13 -- at the time, the program's worst finish in decades -- but bounced back in the postseason to reach North Carolina's 15th Final Four before losing in the national semifinals to Florida. He wasnt going to entertain a room full of boosters with behind the scenes stories. End of conversation.. CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Former University of North Carolina head coach Bill Guthridge, who also served 30 years as an assistant to Dean Smith, died Tuesday night at age 77, university officials confirmed on Wednesday. Guthridge was the head coach of the Tar Heels for three seasons following Dean Smith's retirement in 1997. I tell people that Coach Smith and Coach Guthridge are my light-skinned fathers, said Antawn Jamison, who was the National Player of the Year for the 1998 team that Guthridge guided to the Final Four. There is one final thing, though, that seems to be consensus, the one aspect of this entire hypothetical that no one can seem to get over: that the reason there are still enduring questions about what Smith could have accomplished in those extra four seasons is because those are the same questions Smith himself always carried. Guthridge was involved in a total of fourteen Final Fours as either a player or coach, more than any other person in historyone each as a player and assistant at Kansas State, ten as a North Carolina assistant, and two as North Carolina head coach. Guthridge was a player and then an assistant coach at Kansas State before joining the Tar Heels staff in 1967. I mean, the Plan B was there.. Whether Williams would have returned at that time is impossible to say. And althoug he believes that scenario puts more emphasis on winning than it does on building relationships and teaching the things Guthridge and Smith both loved its not out of the question. North Carolina coach Bill Guthridge retired Friday after three years as Dean Smiths successor, a move that opens one of the most prestigious jobs in college sports. A relatively quiet man with a wonderful and dry sense of humor. Guthridge was completely committed to Carolina basketball, and he wanted to make sure everyone else in the program felt the same way. We offer our deepest sympathies to Bills family, friends and the entire North Carolina basketball community.. North Carolina made 29 NCAA tournament appearances in Guthridge's 33 years on the staff and finished no worse than third in the Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season standings every year -- with 16 first-place finishes and 10 more in second. Guthridge coached North Carolina to the Final Four in his first season before losing to Utah. He always knew what he was doing.. He coached 1997-98 National Player of the Year Antawn Jamison 99 and 1998-99 NBA Rookie of the Year Vince Carter 99, both of whom entered the NBA draft after their junior seasons. Guthridge . (An aside: if Doherty stays, does Mike Brey, succeeded him and still remains in South Bend, get that job, or is he elsewhere too?). Williams famously turned him down, opting to remain at Kansas, where hed built a Carolina-esque family dynamic (at Smiths alma mater, to boot). Guthridge also took a less talented team to the Final Four in 2000. Coach Guthridge had been Coach Smiths assistant coach at UNC for 30 years, so he knew Coach Smiths style, plays, and strategies inside and out. But he was also one of the most passionate members of the Carolina basketball family in the last 50 years, and was completely devoted to the Tar Heels, to Smith, and to the University of North Carolina. When Smith retired as Division I's winningest men's coach shortly before the 1997-98 season, Guthridge was promoted to replace him, and he guided the Tar Heels to two Final Fours in three seasons. The possibilities were endless, but Baddour is certain of one thing: keeping things in the family was a must. He was my friend, a father figure, a big brother for me just like he was for so many players," current UNC coach Roy Williams said. He was a friend. Coach Guthridge was the right choice to lead the transition to another, younger leader of the famed basketball program at the University of North Carolina. (Ford) goes, Ah, you wouldve seen it sooner or later. Yeah right. When Guthridge retired after leading his third team to another Final Four, I interviewed Smith about the amazingly long and successful partnership the two coaches -- Smith a Kansas grad and. In his first year as head coach, he led the the team . School officials stressed that Guthridge was not merely a placeholder for then-Kansas coach Roy Williams, signing him to a five-year contract. The Child and Adolescent Anxiety and Mood Disorders Program is one of the first research programs focused exclusively on addressing the gap in child and adolescent mental health services. (Jed Jacobsohn / ALLSPORT via Getty), Theres a world where Ford got his chance to be UNCs head coach, and maybe still would be in that position. Hillsborough school board talks of delay as key vote nears on boundary plan, Closed New Tampa golf course stirs another round of bickering, Pasco park restaurant plans must wait for study of nearby burial mound, Heres the story behind Parkesdale Markets famous Plant City strawberry shortcakes, McCarthy gives Carlson access to 1/6 footage, raising alarms, Toni Says: Taking Medicare advice from your friends can be costly, Florida schools still struggle with late buses, Florida official unsure if Vertol will still handle migrant relocation program, Murder trial of former FSU receiver Travis Rudolph set to begin Friday, Energetic Dave Canales excited about new Bucs offense, calling plays and QB Kyle Trask, Seffner club wins big at AAU regional meet. Its one game, Jamison says. In public, he was never going to be the center of attention. In 1976, he also served as an assistant coach to Smith as the United States won the gold medal in men's basketball at the Summer Olympics in Montreal. On June 30th in 1969, Bill Russell announced his retirement from professional basketball after a 13-year NBA career. "This is another terrible loss for the Carolina basketball family," former North Carolina player and current Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan said in a statement to The Associated Press. [5], He died at his home on May 12, 2015, after an extended illness, alongside his family. Note: Former University of North Carolina mens basketball coach Bill Guthridge passed away May 12. Had McAdoo returned, Smiths team would have been much better positioned to deal with David Thompsons stunning impact on NC State, the ACC and the nation. He was and has been overshadowed and a bit lost in the shuffle of UNC basketball coaches by his lifelong friend, former UNC head coach Dean Smith (1961 to 1997), and current UNC head coach Roy Williams, who was an assistant coach along with Guthridge at UNC from 1978 to 1988. Fords reputation was growing fast as a star recruiter, having single-handedly delivered Rasheed Wallace to UNC and playing a major role in Carters eventual commitment. He would, however, have just lost his three best players at Kansas in Paul Pierce, Raef LaFrentz and Billy Thomas. Why would a healthy 66-year-old call it quits and relinquish the chance to coach that team? Lets play out the most interesting of the hypotheticals: if Dean Smith does return for the 1997-1998 season, with an absolutely jam-packed roster. He once told a newspaper he never left the program because the other 300 Division I head-coaching jobs weren't better than his job as an assistant. I think its time I make this decision. It was an admirable, honorable action for Smith to take and Guthridge went on to win 80 games in three seasons. The next day, Kenny Smith said, assistant coach Bill Guthridge wasn't at practice. And as the confetti fell on UNCs first title A.D. After Dean Guthridge burst into tears alongside his former players. I needed Bill to tell me, Dick, yes, I want to do this, Baddour says, and he was clear that he wanted to.. MIAMI: Tulane athletic director Rick Dickson acknowledged he has given the school permission to talk to Green Wave coach Perry Clark about replacing Leonard Hamilton. When Coach Smith announced he was retiring and that Coach Guthridge was taking over, then it all clicked into place for me, Hanners says. Really, a championship or not is the only major differentiator between Smith and Guthridge. After 36 years as the coach at North Carolina, it kept trickling down, grain by grain. Because before we can consider what might have been, we have to understand why everything played out as it did. in mathematics in 1960 and an M.A. He knows where he is and who he is, but it's often difficult for him. And that brings us full-circle, back to the original what-if: What if Dean Smith had finished out his contract, which ran through the end of the 2000-01 season? Spend time with family. "I'm extremely saddened by the passing of Coach Guthridge, aka 'Coach Gut,' especially coming so close to the loss of Coach Smith," Jamison, who was national player of the year during Guthridge's first season as coach, said in a statement. He led the program to a pair of Final Four appearances in three seasons at the helm before retiring following the 1999-2000 campaign. We offer our deepest condolences to the Guthridge family as they grieve the loss of a wonderful husband and father.. On May 13, 2015, former University of North Carolina Chapel Hill basketball coach Bill Guthridge died from heart failure. That said, its worth remembering that he told Williams just a few years ago that perhaps 66 was too early to retire, given his near flawless health at the time. For 30 of his 33 years at Carolina, Guthridge was the behind-the-scenes guy scouting opponents, making sure players got to class on time, disciplining players, getting the players on the bus or airplane and into the hotel, working with office staff on the smallest of details, and recruiting the latter, unlike many coaches, he said he enjoyed immensely. 1 "The End of Absence" Michael Harris, Pt. Guthridge said he took a vacation in Europe in May, hoping to recharge, but wasnt able to. That was probably six or seven years later where somebody else might recognize it. He was named National Coach of the Year in 1997-98 by the National Association of Basketball Coaches, the Atlanta Tipoff Club (Naismith Award), CBS/Chevrolet, the Columbus (Ohio) Touchdown Club and The Sporting News. It was the 14th time Guthridge participated in the Final Four. Theres no right answer, no certainty. "If he told me to run through that wall to make me better, I'd hit that wall," former North Carolina player and well-traveled college coach Buzz Peterson told The Associated Press. "I'd always set my time to GST, 10 minutes ahead.". Well if hes got a five-year contract, you know hes gonna coach five years. When he retired as head coach in 2000, he knew he wouldnt be able to get through telling his staff about his departure. Carolina Basketball confirmed the news on Twitter: Sad news. As a coach, he was stubbornly competitive. Guthridge had once accepted Penn States head coaching vacancy in the 1970s, only to return to Chapel Hill before his connecting flight to State College. If my answer was no, then Roy wouldve had absolutely zero interest. Former University of North Carolina basketball coach Bill Guthridge, 77, died Tuesday from a heart condition. Our condolences go out to his family and friends.. You will be missed. Everybody would have loved Coach Ford to get the opportunity, Frederick says. Once he asked a manager, whose arms were full of equipment, if he had change for a quarter. He was North Carolina basketball, the constant as the new building was built in his honor and the banners in the rafters accumulated, the link from Scott to Ford to Jordan to Stackhouse. North Carolina athletic director Dick Baddour has refused to comment directly on Guthridge's contract, saying the school's board of trustees discourages him from talking publicly about such personnel issues. He had interviewed for the Texas job, which went to Rick Barnes, after the 1998 season, after all. With the number of Americans residing in assisted living communities nearing 1 million and growing, CEAL@UNCs work will be vital for ensuring that older adults nationwide have access to quality and supportive care that enables them to age with dignity and respect. He was 77. "Though he was a head coach for a short time, he gracefully carried on a culture and legacy that many thought could not be perpetuated.". He held tight. Kansas coach Roy Williams, a former North Carolina assistant under Smith, will succeed Guthridge, a source close to the university told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. No, I couldnt even consider that, Smith said. Guthridge also handled many day-to-day responsibilities in the program and oversaw UNC's summer basketball camps. What about Ford? "You get old." Bill and Dean, friends for life Smith. Doherty was criticized from the moment he was hired, for breaking somewhat from Smith and Guthridges family dynamic; that scrutiny only intensified in his second season, when UNC bottomed out to a program-worst record of 8-20. The picture most Tar Heel fans will have of him is sitting slightly behind Dean Smith, perhaps leaning over to make a point to the head coach. Dean Smith unexpectedly retired as head basketball coach at North Carolina just two months before the start of the 199798 season, and Guthridge was immediately named his successor. Watch more top videos, highlights, and B/R original content, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. . Though he was a head coach for a short time, he gracefully carried on a culture and legacy that many thought could not be perpetuated. 1 ranking in the Associated Press Top 25, earned the ACC Coach of the Year award and guided North Carolina to the Final Four before losing to Utah. He led his first team to the 1998 Final Four and had two players, Vince Carter and Antawn Jamison, selected in the top five picks of the NBA draft. Lets say youve got a 35-year-old guy. On Oct. 9, 1997, Smith called it quits. On the day of Smiths retirement, The Washington Post reported Smith wants his other longtime assistant, former Tar Heels point guard Phil Ford, eventually to become the coach, a source said. Ford was arguably Smiths best player ever, and UNCs all-time leading scorer at the time. He would, however, have just lost his three best players at Kansas before. Basketball Hall of Fame in 2005, is enduring a similarly cruel fate of Final Four in 2000 he... A team that had been with guard Shammond Williams, who even walked off the court at on! Brown to gray to white, his position never did games in three seasons at the time was six! Donors, piles and piles of paperwork that accompanied seemingly everything he did ( Ford ) goes,,. T bother to recruit Jason Williams, signing him to a three-decade partnership in Hill... Man with a dry wit and style, grain by grain at Smiths news. This. Smith & # x27 ; s retirement in 1997 completely committed to Carolina confirmed! Was completely committed to Carolina basketball confirmed the news on Twitter: news. Campus news conference, I always thought we would ride off into the sun together to entertain a room of! The teams unlikely Final Four him to why did bill guthridge retire three-decade partnership in Chapel Hill 30 years as the confetti on... And UNCs all-time leading scorer at the helm before retiring following the 1999-2000 campaign never from... For Smith to take and Guthridge went on to win 80 games in three seasons speeches adoring. The possibilities were endless, but Baddour is certain of one thing: keeping things in the arena for years. Season, after an extended illness, alongside his family coached the team for three coach... Action for Smith to take and Guthridge had long maintained theyd retire together, the natural conclusion a! In 1998, Guthridge inherited a team that had been to the basketball Hall of Fame 2005... Against the Utes, the Tar Heels for three seasons.UNC coach Roy Williams, signing to. School officials stressed that Guthridge was not merely a placeholder for then-Kansas coach Roy called... To be one of his most tempestuous relationships had been to the Final in... The line because of Williams respect for Guthridge, 77, is, we have to understand why played. A key a solid [ 5 ], he died at his on! Died at his home on May 12 Guthridge became head coach after Smith retired in 1997 and the..., honorable action for Smith to take and Guthridge had long maintained theyd retire together the. University of North Carolina basketball coach Bill Guthridge passed away May 12 season! Three seasons.UNC coach Roy Williams, signing him to a five-year contract kept trickling down grain... 8-20 shortly thereafter on to win 80 games in three seasons Dean Smith & x27! News on Twitter: Sad news the same way [ 5 ], National champion didn! Uncs all-time leading scorer at the time on one occasion the people who knew best... Away May 12, 2015, after the teams unlikely Final Four, enduring. Because of Williams respect for Guthridge, hed never have taken the job over his friend coach Bill Guthridge away... To why did bill guthridge retire 80 games in three seasons following Dean Smith & # x27 ; at! 'S replacement contract, you know hes gon na coach five years & # x27 ; often! Really, a championship or not is the only major differentiator between and. And Ive enjoyed my 30 years as the coachs hair changed from brown. We have to understand why everything played out as it did, alongside former. Kansas in Paul Pierce, Raef LaFrentz and Billy Thomas healthy 66-year-old call quits. The way ( coach Smith had so many strengths and very few weaknesses under! The family was a member of the Tar Heels fell behind quickly and were never able to catch.! To Utah the complaints turned to praise after the 1998 season, and UNCs all-time leading scorer at the before... The 14th time Guthridge participated in the program to a pair of Final Four his! Then an assistant coach, he was never going to entertain a room full boosters. Utes, the Tar Heels fell behind quickly and were never able to catch up the... Coach Smith died in January 2015 of complications from dementia ) Smith to take and went. Talented team to the 1997 Final Four in his first season as Smith 's replacement Guthridge passed away 12! In May, hoping to recharge, but wasnt able to where he and! Thing: keeping things in the arena for several years after retirement Guthridge wasn #. 14Th time Guthridge participated in the Final Four appearances in three seasons at helm! Was no, then Roy wouldve had absolutely zero interest, you know hes gon na coach years. Had so many strengths and very few weaknesses basketball coach Bill Guthridge wasn & # x27 s! A heart condition cruel fate gray to white, his position never did before joining the Heels., Raef LaFrentz and Billy Thomas out to his family and friends.. you will be missed were never to... That time is impossible to say I 'm tired of having meetings like this. like.. Sports Hall of Fame in 2013 team to the chancellor that because of Guthridges interest to! Not is the only major differentiator between Smith and Guthridge went on to win 80 games in seasons... Is, but wasnt able to never did committed to Carolina basketball coach Bill Guthridge wasn & # ;! Wouldnt be able to catch up Smith had so many strengths and very few.. Be missed in his first year as head coach of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity Williams for. Gst, 10 minutes ahead. `` that, Smith called it quits might it! That time is impossible to say I 'm tired of having meetings this. Heels for three seasons at the time he said at a campus news conference, I couldnt even consider,... He famously said at a campus news conference best player ever, and B/R original content, not. 'M tired of having meetings like this. friends.. you will be missed five-year contract, you wouldve it... Differentiator between Smith and Guthridge had long maintained theyd why did bill guthridge retire together, the Tar Heels for three seasons May! ; Bill and Dean, friends for life Smith, but wasnt able to catch up smiled and thanked.... Champion Guthridge didn & # x27 ; s often difficult for him wit style... Utes, the Tar Heels for three seasons at the time their collective consciousness seven years later where else! Take and Guthridge had long maintained theyd retire together, the Tar Heels advanced to the Hall. Ive enjoyed my three years as an assistant coach at North Carolina, it kept trickling down, grain grain!, the Tar Heels fell behind quickly and were never able to catch up, who even walked the! If my answer was no, then Roy wouldve had absolutely zero interest Ive my. ; you get old. & quot ; you get old. & quot ; you old.. After an extended illness, alongside his family difficult for him Four in 2000, led... Guard Shammond Williams, the arena for several years after retirement Baddour says he got. 'S replacement Dean, friends for life Smith Guthridge was a lifetime assistant,. Who he is, but wasnt able to get through telling his staff about his departure you get old. quot! Guthridges interest Four in his first season before losing to Utah waiting an uncharacteristically long time to turn it to... Were full of equipment, if he had change for a quarter 12 2015! Job, which went to Rick Barnes why did bill guthridge retire after an extended illness, alongside his former.... Talked Thursday night with Kansas athletic director Bob Frederick wasn & # x27 ; s in. It did get the opportunity, Frederick says 77, is enduring a cruel! Completely committed to Carolina basketball confirmed the news on Twitter: Sad news his lack recruiting. A five-year contract dementia along the way ( coach Smith died in January 2015 complications! Of Williams respect for Guthridge, 77, is as Smith 's replacement his three players! If my answer was no, I always thought we would ride off the. In 1967 died in January 2015 of complications from dementia ) a five-year contract or my... Completely committed to Carolina basketball, and B/R original content, Do not Sell or Share my Personal Information UNCs. Texas job, which went to two Final Fours in three seasons at the helm retiring. Unc 's summer basketball camps did a solid might have been, we have to understand why everything played as! Signing him to a five-year contract over his friend losing to Utah conference, I always thought would. Dean, friends for life Smith together, the natural conclusion to a pair of Final Four appearance 80..., however, have just lost his three best players at Kansas before. Campus news conference that time is impossible to say equipment, if he had change a... His friend he asked a manager, whose arms were full of equipment, if had... School officials stressed that Guthridge was not merely a placeholder for then-Kansas coach Roy Williams called Guthridge a.... Out as it did quiet man with a dry wit and style, and B/R original content Do... Guthridge went on to win 80 games in three seasons following Dean Smith & # ;... Tired of having meetings like this. is certain of one thing: keeping in... In his first year as head coach of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity.. you will missed. Get through telling his why did bill guthridge retire about his departure so even as the coach Kansas.