GREENSBORO, N.C. — It’s time for My 2 Cents.
Today is a bittersweet day in the Tar Heel community. Coach Roy Williams is retiring after 18 seasons with the men’s basketball team. That’s three national titles, three ACC tournament championships, nine regular season titles, two additional final fours and an induction into the Naismith Hall of Fame.
There is no doubt that he is an outstanding basketball coach but more than that - Coach Williams was also a great person.
He led the program all four years that I was on the Carolina cheerleading team. During those years the cheerleaders traveled a number of times with the basketball team for tournaments. That’s when we interacted with coach the most. He always went out of his way to tell us how much he appreciated us being there. His wife, Wanda, even had chapel hill toffee for us on one trip.
The Carolina Basketball team had the red carpet rolled out for them wherever they’d go. They deserved it. Food catered in, nice accommodations, the works. But Coach Williams always made sure we felt just as important. Whenever there was food, he’d bring some to us. If we were studying for exams in the hotel lobby, he’d stop by and say hi. If we were lucky enough to get on the same elevator, he’d ask how we were.
He could have just focused on what he was there to do, coach the team and play basketball, and nobody would have thought anything of it. But he went above and beyond.
I think the test of a good person is what they do for people who can’t do anything for them. That was Coach Williams. He cared about more than his job, the guys on his team or the championship rings on his fingers. He cared about everyone who was part of the Carolina basketball family, the families, the fans, the students, the band and the cheerleaders.
So, yes, I’ll remember the times he led the team to victory. But mostly I’ll remember how he made me feel like I was part of his team.
Congratulations and thank you, Coach Williams.