Greetings, Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) sports fans.
Tonight, we have some interesting stuff for you. We actually saw #FireRoyWilliams hashtags on Twitter – yes, that’s actually a thing.
Seriously.
Really?!?!?!?!
The #FireRoyWilliams loons are out in force. Those people might be one card sort of a full deck.
— Matthew (@hokiesmash) March 27, 2015
Our friend, James, was shocked, too…
Still shaking my head at that guy wanting to #FireRoyWilliams. And *we’re* crazy?!? — James Curle (@JamesCurle) March 15, 2015
Let’s talk about Roy Williams.
When North Carolina beat #1 ranked Michigan State last year in East Lansing, it marked not only the 13th time the Tar Heels had ever beaten the nation’s top team – an NCAA record – but it was the seventh time a Roy Williams-coached squad had toppled the number one team in the Associated Press poll. Among the 159 men who have coached teams to wins over #1, Williams is one of only two in college basketball history to accomplish that feat seven times. No coach has done that more.
Williams begins his 12th season as Carolina’s head coach. A member of the Naismith Basketball and College Basketball Halls of Fame, Williams has led Carolina to national championships in 2005 and 2009, another Final Four in 2008, Elite Eights in 2007, 2011 and 2012, five NCAA Tournament No. 1 seeds in 10 appearances, seven Associated Press Top 10 final rankings, six ACC regular-season titles, two ACC Tournament crowns and five 30-win seasons and has developed 15 first-round NBA Draft picks.
ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Sporting News and Fox Sports named Williams the Coach of the Decade for 2000-2009 as he led Kansas and Carolina to 33 NCAA Tournament wins in that span, eight more than any other coach.
The Asheville, N.C., native and 1972 UNC graduate has compiled a 26-year record as a college head coach of 724-190. He is tied with DePaul’s Ray Meyer for 19th place all-time with 724 wins. Only one other coach – Adolph Rupp – won 700 games with a higher winning percentage. Williams has led Kansas and UNC to wins at a rate of 79.2 percent. That is the highest winning percentage among active coaches with at least 20 years experience, second among all Division I active coaches and sixth-best all-time. Last season, he won his 300th game at UNC, surpassing Smith’s previous ACC record for reaching that mark in fewer games than any coach in the history of the historic conference. Williams is 306-89 (.775) in 11 seasons at Carolina, making him the second-winningest coach in school history. He is also second in Kansas history with 418 wins, placing him in the top two in victories at schools that are ranked second (KU) and third (UNC) all-time in wins in college basketball history.
The Tar Heels are 130-50 in ACC regular-season play under Williams, giving him the third-best percentage (.722) in ACC history behind Duke’s Vic Bubas and Smith. His teams improve as the year goes on, as evidenced by the fact that Carolina is 70-20 in the second half of ACC play (.778) under Williams. Williams has set UNC coaching records for most wins for one year (36 in 2007-08), two years (70 in 2008-09), three years (101 from 2007-09), four years (124 from 2006-09), five years (157 from 2005-09), six years (177 from 2005-10), seven years (206 from 2005-12), nine years (263 from 2005-13) and 10 years (287 from 2005-14); and tied the mark for any eight-year span (225, tied with 1991-98). Williams has been a head coach for 26 years, yet he has already won more games than any coach in college basketball history after 29 seasons. Williams is one of the most successful coaches in NCAA Tournament history. His teams are 63-22 in 24 appearances. He has the third-most wins (63) and games (85) in history behind only Krzyzewski and Smith and has the sixth-highest winning percentage (.741) among coaches with at least 30 games. His teams have reached the Sweet 16 16 times, the Elite Eight 11 times and the Final Four on seven occasions, which is tied for fourth all-time behind only John Wooden, Smith and Krzyzewski. His teams made 20 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances from 1990 to 2009, the second-longest streak in NCAA history behind Smith’s 23, and Williams is the only coach to win an NCAA Tournament game in 20 consecutive seasons. He has won at least one game in all 24 NCAA Tournaments in which his teams have played, a mark of consistency that no other coach has approached. Rupp is second with wins in his first 13 NCAA appearances; Bob Knight is third with nine. Williams is one of four coaches (with Frank McGuire, Larry Brown and Rick Pitino) to lead two schools to the national championship game. Carolina is 29-8 in the NCAA Tournament under Williams, a winning percentage of .784 that is the best in ACC history. He has led Kansas and UNC to 10 No. 1 seeds (five at each school), the second-most in NCAA history. Williams has a 58-32 record in ACC road games, a winning percentage of .644 that is the second-best in ACC history. The Tar Heels have posted winning ACC records on the road in eight of his 11 seasons, including 8-0 in 2007-08, 7-1 in 2005-06 and 2011-12 and 6-2 in three other seasons.
His Hall of Fame ledger also includes:
• combined record: 999-251 in 26 seasons as a collegiate head coach and assistant coach
• 30-win seasons: 10, the second-most in history
• consecutive years with 30 wins: three from 2007-09, a Carolina first
• 25-win seasons: 19
• 20-win seasons: 24, the eighth-most in NCAA history
• National coach of the year: seven times (1990, 1991, 1992, 1997, 2005, 2006, 2009)
• Conference coach of the year: nine times (1990, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2011)
• ACC regular-season titles: six in 11 seasons, tied for the third most in ACC history (Smith won 17 in 36 years, Krzyzewski 12 in 34 and McGuire six in 24)
• Big 8/12 and ACC regular-season championships: 15 combined titles and 19 times finishing either first or second in the conference standings
• Milestone wins: reached 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 and 700 wins in fewer seasons than any coach in history
• Number One rankings: 11 seasons ranked No. 1 and 16 seasons ranked No. 1 or No. 2
• Associated Press rankings: Tar Heels have been ranked in the Top 25 in 168 of 212 polls, including 110 Top 10 rankings, 84 times in the Top 5 and 27 weeks as the No. 1 team in the countryIn 26 seasons, Williams has coached four National Players of the Year, 15 first-team All-Americas, nine conference player or athletes of the year, three Bob Cousy Award winners, 29 first-team all-conference players, 38 academic all-conference selections, two Academic All-Americas of the Year and 26 NBA first-round draft picks.
Yeah, that sounds like someone you want to fire. NOT. Yet, here’s what I see on Twitter: I wonder if this guy actually attended UNC…
4 out of 5 years losing in the ACC title game #FireRoyWilliams — Michael Tiscia (@MTiscia) March 15, 2015
Yeesh…
How did my @GoHeels lose to @BadgerMBB …#FireRoyWilliams #Asap
— King Sosa (@KING_BURCH91026) March 27, 2015
No…
Coaching I tell you #fireroywilliams
— Shawnglast (@sglast77) March 27, 2015
#WalMartTweets
I didn’t even watch the game, but for the last 5 years I’ve said #FireRoyWilliams. Do it. — Black. (@TrillONeal) March 27, 2015
Batman here…
Time to turn on #espnclassic to watch a Dean Smith comeback…..cause this game is over. #Fireroywilliams — david howell (@DavidDood47) March 27, 2015
Woof!!!
Nice to see the Heels play hard all game … even without a coach. #GoHeels #FireRoyWilliams
— Lee Rummage (@LeeRummage) March 22, 2015
Ahh, but our friend, Will, gets how stupid these #FireRoyWillams folks are:
UNC is about to go to the Sweet Sixteen, but #FireRoyWilliams though.
— Will Ojanen (@WillsWorldMN) March 22, 2015
So does John:
@hokiesmash Do these people really want to deal with a sanctions-riddled 2017-2025 WITHOUT Roy? — John Cassillo (@JohnCassillo) March 27, 2015
Well done:
@hokiesmash @NotAFanOfBlue Got to have cards first
— Old North Banter (@OldNorthBanter) March 27, 2015
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