List of North Carolina Tar Heels men's head basketball coaches
Encyclopedia
The North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball
program represents the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
in college basketball
. The basketball team plays at the Division I level of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) in the Atlantic Coast Conference
(ACC). The Tar Heels originally did not play within any athletic conference, but joined the Southern Conference
in 1921 when it was first established. After playing in the Southern Conference for 22 years, North Carolina left in 1953 to join the newly created ACC. The Tar Heels play their home games in the Dean E. Smith Center, named after the 15th head coach Dean Smith
.
The team has had 18 head coaches in its history and has played two seasons without one. The program has played 2,724 games in 100 seasons from the 1910–11 to the 2009–10 season. During those seasons, three coaches have led the team to a NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
: Frank McGuire
in 1957
; Smith in 1982
and 1993
; and Roy Williams
in 2005
and 2009
. Smith, in 1971
, led North Carolina to its only National Invitation Tournament
(NIT) championship. North Carolina also received a retroactive national championship for the 1923–24 team coached by Norman Shepard
, which was given by the Helms Athletic Foundation
. Eleven coaches have won the conference regular season, by having the best overall regular season record, with the Tar Heels: Norman Shepard, Monk McDonald
, Harlan Sanborn
, Bo Shepard
, Bill Lange
, Walter Skidmore
, Ben Carnevale
, McGuire, Smith, Matt Doherty, and Williams. Eleven coaches have won the conference tournament with the Tar Heels: Norman Shepard, McDonald, Sanborn, Bo Shepard, Lange, Skidmore, Carnevale, McGuire, Smith, Bill Guthridge
, and Williams.
Smith had the longest tenure at North Carolina, coaching for 36 seasons, and is the all-time leader in games coached (1,133) and wins (879). Smith's 879 wins were the most of any NCAA men's Division I coach at the time of his retirement in 1997. Smith also won an Olympic Gold Medal in 1976
for coaching the United States while also working as the head coach of North Carolina, a feat that no other North Carolina coach has replicated. Several coaches both played for and coached basketball at North Carolina. McDonald and Doherty played for and coached the men's varsity basketball team, and both played on teams that were awarded national championships, McDonald on the 1923–24 team and Doherty on the 1981–82 team. Williams both played for and coached the North Carolina men's junior varsity team. Brothers Norman and Bo Shepard are the only two head coaches to be related to each other. Norman Shepard is the all-time leader in winning percentage
, having never lost a game. Statistically, Cartmell has been the least successful coach of the Tar Heels, with a winning percentage of .510. No coach has had an overall losing record at North Carolina. Six coaches have received coaching awards while the head coach of North Carolina: Carnevale, McGuire, Smith, Gutheridge, Doherty, and Williams. Carnevale, McGuire, Smith, and Williams have all been inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame
. The current coach is Williams, who was hired in 2003.
North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball
The North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and is considered one of the most successful programs in NCAA history...
program represents the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
in college basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
. The basketball team plays at the Division I level of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) in the Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
(ACC). The Tar Heels originally did not play within any athletic conference, but joined the Southern Conference
Southern Conference
The Southern Conference is a Division I college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Southern Conference football teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision . Member institutions are located in the states of Alabama, Georgia, North...
in 1921 when it was first established. After playing in the Southern Conference for 22 years, North Carolina left in 1953 to join the newly created ACC. The Tar Heels play their home games in the Dean E. Smith Center, named after the 15th head coach Dean Smith
Dean Smith
Dean Edwards Smith is a retired American head coach of men's college basketball. Originally from Emporia, Kansas, Smith has been called a “coaching legend” by the Basketball Hall of Fame. Smith is best known for his successful 36-year coaching tenure at the University of North Carolina at Chapel...
.
The team has had 18 head coaches in its history and has played two seasons without one. The program has played 2,724 games in 100 seasons from the 1910–11 to the 2009–10 season. During those seasons, three coaches have led the team to a NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
: Frank McGuire
Frank McGuire
Frank Joseph McGuire was an American athletic coach who gained his greatest renown in collegiate basketball....
in 1957
1957 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1957 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 23 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 11, 1957, and ended with the championship game on March 23 in Kansas City, Missouri...
; Smith in 1982
1982 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1982 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 48 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 11, 1982, and ended with the championship game on March 29 in New Orleans, Louisiana...
and 1993
1993 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1993 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 18, 1993, and ended with the championship game on April 5 in New Orleans, Louisiana...
; and Roy Williams
Roy Williams (coach)
Roy Williams is head coach of the men's basketball team at the University of North Carolina. After averaging nearly an 80% win percentage in 15 seasons at the University of Kansas, he became the eighteenth head coach at North Carolina when he replaced Matt Doherty in 2003...
in 2005
2005 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2005 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 15, 2005, and ended with the championship game on April 4 at the Edward Jones Dome in St...
and 2009
2009 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The first and second round games were played at the following sites:First and Second Rounds: Thursday and Saturday, March 19 and 21, 2009-Qualifying teams:-Brackets:Results to date * – Denotes overtime periodAll times in U.S. EDT....
. Smith, in 1971
1971 National Invitation Tournament
The 1971 National Invitation Tournament was the 1971 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition. 1971 was unique because it is the only time that major rivals Duke and North Carolina have played each other after the ACC Tournament. Eventual ACC member Georgia Tech also made the...
, led North Carolina to its only National Invitation Tournament
National Invitation Tournament
The National Invitation Tournament is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. There are two NIT events each season. The first, played in November and known as the Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off , was founded in 1985...
(NIT) championship. North Carolina also received a retroactive national championship for the 1923–24 team coached by Norman Shepard
Norman Shepard
Norman W. Shepard was a head coach of various college athletics at several American colleges and universities. He is best known for being the only Division I college basketball coach to go undefeated in his first season coaching...
, which was given by the Helms Athletic Foundation
Helms Athletic Foundation
The Helms Athletic Foundation was an athletic foundation based in Los Angeles, founded in 1936 by Bill Schroeder and Paul Helms. It put together a panel of experts to select National Champion teams and make All-America team selections in a number of college sports including football and basketball...
. Eleven coaches have won the conference regular season, by having the best overall regular season record, with the Tar Heels: Norman Shepard, Monk McDonald
Monk McDonald
Angus Morris "Monk" McDonald was an American college athlete, a head coach for the North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team, and a urologist...
, Harlan Sanborn
Harlan Sanborn
-References:GeneralSpecific...
, Bo Shepard
Bo Shepard
George E. "Bo" Shepard was best known for being the head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team from 1931 through 1935.-Early life and family:...
, Bill Lange
Bill Lange (coach)
William Fisher "Bill" Lange was an American basketball and football player and coach. He played college football and basketball for Wittenberg College from 1918 to 1921...
, Walter Skidmore
Walter Skidmore
-References:GeneralSpecific...
, Ben Carnevale
Ben Carnevale
Bernard Louis "Ben" Carnevale was an American college men's basketball coach.-Early years:Born in Raritan, New Jersey, Carnevale was a graduate of Somerville High School in Somerville, New Jersey...
, McGuire, Smith, Matt Doherty, and Williams. Eleven coaches have won the conference tournament with the Tar Heels: Norman Shepard, McDonald, Sanborn, Bo Shepard, Lange, Skidmore, Carnevale, McGuire, Smith, Bill Guthridge
Bill Guthridge
Bill Guthridge is a retired American college basketball coach.Guthridge initially gained recognition after serving for 30 years as Dean Smith's assistant at the University of North Carolina. Following Dean Smith's retirement in 1997, Guthridge served as head coach of the Tar Heels for three seasons...
, and Williams.
Smith had the longest tenure at North Carolina, coaching for 36 seasons, and is the all-time leader in games coached (1,133) and wins (879). Smith's 879 wins were the most of any NCAA men's Division I coach at the time of his retirement in 1997. Smith also won an Olympic Gold Medal in 1976
Basketball at the 1976 Summer Olympics
Basketball contests at the 1976 Summer Olympics took place from July 18 to July 27 at the Centre Étienne Desmarteau and the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Canada. Women's basketball was introduced to the Olympic program for the first time at this Games...
for coaching the United States while also working as the head coach of North Carolina, a feat that no other North Carolina coach has replicated. Several coaches both played for and coached basketball at North Carolina. McDonald and Doherty played for and coached the men's varsity basketball team, and both played on teams that were awarded national championships, McDonald on the 1923–24 team and Doherty on the 1981–82 team. Williams both played for and coached the North Carolina men's junior varsity team. Brothers Norman and Bo Shepard are the only two head coaches to be related to each other. Norman Shepard is the all-time leader in winning percentage
Winning percentage
In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. It is defined as wins divided by wins plus losses . Ties count as a ½ loss and a ½ win...
, having never lost a game. Statistically, Cartmell has been the least successful coach of the Tar Heels, with a winning percentage of .510. No coach has had an overall losing record at North Carolina. Six coaches have received coaching awards while the head coach of North Carolina: Carnevale, McGuire, Smith, Gutheridge, Doherty, and Williams. Carnevale, McGuire, Smith, and Williams have all been inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame
Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, honors exceptional basketball players, coaches, referees, executives, and other major contributors to the game of basketball worldwide...
. The current coach is Williams, who was hired in 2003.
Statistics
| # | Number of coaches |
| GC | Games coached |
| OW | Overall Wins |
| OL | Overall Losses |
| O% | Winning percentage Winning percentage In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. It is defined as wins divided by wins plus losses . Ties count as a ½ loss and a ½ win... |
| CW | Conference Wins |
| CL | Conference Losses |
| C% | Winning percentage |
| RCs | Regular Season Conference Champions |
| CCs | Conference Tournament Champions |
| NCs | National Championships |
| ♥ | Helms champion |
| ‡ | NIT champion |
| ♠ | NCAA tournament champion |
| † | Elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame Basketball Hall of Fame The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, honors exceptional basketball players, coaches, referees, executives, and other major contributors to the game of basketball worldwide... |
| FHOF | Fédération Internationale de Basketball (in English the International Basketball Federation) hall of fame FIBA Hall of Fame FIBA Hall of Fame honors basketball players, coaches and administrators who have contributed to international competitive basketball. It was established by FIBA in 1991. It includes the "Samaranch Library", the biggest basketball library in the world that, as of 2007, has over 10,000 basketball... |
| BHOF | Basketball Hall of Fame Basketball Hall of Fame The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, honors exceptional basketball players, coaches, referees, executives, and other major contributors to the game of basketball worldwide... |
| NCHOF | National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame The National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Kansas City, Missouri, is a hall of fame and museum dedicated to college basketball. The museum is an integral portion of the College Basketball Experience created by the National Association of Basketball Coaches , located at the Sprint... |
| LOCA | Legend of Coaching Award |
| SN | Sporting News Coach of the Year |
| NABC | National Association of Basketball Coaches Coach of the Year NABC Coach of the Year The NABC Coach of the Year Award has been presented by the National Association of Basketball Coaches since 1959. It is currently sponsored by the UPS Store.-Award winners:-External links:*... |
| N | Naismith Coach of the Year Naismith College Coach of the Year Naismith College Coach of the Year Award is an award given by the Atlanta Tipoff Club to one men's and one women's NCAA Division I collegiate coach each season since 1987... |
| BT | Basketball Times Coach of the Year Basketball Times Basketball Times is an American basketball magazine that has been in circulation since 1978, and is published by The Hoop Group LLC. Basketball Times publishes monthly and mainly focuses on college basketball and basketball recruiting.- History :... |
| USBWA | U.S. Basketball Writers Association United States Basketball Writers Association The United States Basketball Writers Association was founded in 1956 by Walter Byers and serves the interests of journalists who cover college basketball.-Scholarships:... |
| UPI | United Press International Coach of the Year United Press International United Press International is a once-major international news agency, whose newswires, photo, news film and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines and radio and television stations for most of the twentieth century... |
| CBS | CBS/Chevrolet Coach of the Year CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of... |
| AP | Associated Press College Basketball Coach of the Year Associated Press College Basketball Coach of the Year The Associated Press College Basketball Coach of the Year award was established in 1967 to recognize the best men's college basketball coach of the year, as voted upon by the Associated Press... |
| ARC | Adolph Rupp Cup Adolph Rupp Adolph Frederick Rupp was one of the most successful coaches in the history of American college basketball. Rupp is fourth in total victories by a men's NCAA Division I college coach, winning 876 games in 41 years of coaching... |
| SY | Sportsman of the Year Sportsman of the Year Since its inception in 1954, Sports Illustrated magazine has annually presented the "Sportsman of the Year" award to "the athlete or team whose performance that year most embodies the spirit of sportsmanship and achievement." Both Americans and non-Americans are eligible, though in the past the... |
| OGM | Olympic Gold Medal Gold medal A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture... |
| ACC | ACC Coach of the Year Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Basketball Coach of the Year The Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Basketball Coach of the Year is a basketball award given to head coaches in the Atlantic Coast Conference . The award is granted to the head coach voted to be the most successful that season by members of the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association... |
- Statistics are correct as of the end of the 2009–102009–10 NCAA Division I men's basketball seasonThe 2009–10 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 9, 2009, and ended with the 2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament's championship game on April 5, 2010 on the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The opening round occurred on Tuesday, March 16, 2010, followed by first...
college basketball season.
| # | Name | Term | GC | OW | OL | O% | CW | CL | C% | RCs | CCs | NCs | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1910–1914 | 49 | 25 | 24 | .510 | 0— | — | 0— | — | — | 0— | 999— | |
| 2 | 1914–1916 | 34 | 18 | 16 | .529 | 0— | — | 0— | — | — | 0— | 999— | |
| 3 | 1916–1919 | 37 | 23 | 14 | .622 | 0— | — | 0— | — | — | 0— | 999— | |
| 4 | 1919–1921 | 36 | 19 | 17 | .528 | 0— | — | 0— | — | — | 0— | 999— | |
| — | No official coach | 1921–1923 | 37 | 30 | 7 | .811 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0— | 999— | |
| 5 | 1923–1924 | 26 | 26 | 0 | 1.000 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1: 1924 Helms Athletic Foundation The Helms Athletic Foundation was an athletic foundation based in Los Angeles, founded in 1936 by Bill Schroeder and Paul Helms. It put together a panel of experts to select National Champion teams and make All-America team selections in a number of college sports including football and basketball... ♥ |
999— | ||
| 6 | 1924–1925 | 25 | 20 | 5 | .800 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0— | 999— | ||
| 7 | 1925–1926 | 25 | 20 | 5 | .800 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0— | 999— | ||
| 8 | 1926–1931 | 117 | 80 | 37 | .684 | 37 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0— | 999— | ||
| 9 | 1931–1935 | 85 | 69 | 16 | .812 | 35 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0— | 999— | ||
| 10 | 1935–1939 | 90 | 65 | 25 | .722 | 48 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 0— | 999— | ||
| 11 | 1939–1944 | 126 | 85 | 41 | .675 | 51 | 18 | 2 | 1 | 0— | 999— | ||
| 12 | † | 1944–1946 | 63 | 52 | 11 | .825 | 24 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0— | ||
| 13 | 1946–1952 | 165 | 100 | 65 | .606 | 64 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 0— | 999— | ||
| 14 | † | 1952–1961 | 222 | 164 | 58 | .739 | 99 | 31 | 5 | 1 | 1: 1957 1957 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament The 1957 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 23 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 11, 1957, and ended with the championship game on March 23 in Kansas City, Missouri... ♠ |
||
| 15 | † | 1961–1997 | 1133 | 879 | 254 | .776 | 364 | 136 | 17 | 13 | 3: 1971 1971 National Invitation Tournament The 1971 National Invitation Tournament was the 1971 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition. 1971 was unique because it is the only time that major rivals Duke and North Carolina have played each other after the ACC Tournament. Eventual ACC member Georgia Tech also made the... ‡ 1982 1982 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament The 1982 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 48 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 11, 1982, and ended with the championship game on March 29 in New Orleans, Louisiana... ♠ 1993 1993 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament The 1993 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 18, 1993, and ended with the championship game on April 5 in New Orleans, Louisiana... ♠ |
ACC Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Basketball Coach of the Year The Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Basketball Coach of the Year is a basketball award given to head coaches in the Atlantic Coast Conference . The award is granted to the head coach voted to be the most successful that season by members of the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association... (1967, 1968, 1971, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1988, 1993) |
|
| 16 | 1997–2000 | 108 | 80 | 28 | .741 | 32 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0— | |||
| 17 | 2000–2003 | 96 | 53 | 43 | .552 | 23 | 25 | 1 | 0 | 0— | |||
| 18 | † | 2003–present | 250 | 196 | 54 | .784 | 77 | 35 | 4 | 2 | 2: 2005 2005 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament The 2005 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 15, 2005, and ended with the championship game on April 4 at the Edward Jones Dome in St... ♠ 2009 2009 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament The first and second round games were played at the following sites:First and Second Rounds: Thursday and Saturday, March 19 and 21, 2009-Qualifying teams:-Brackets:Results to date * – Denotes overtime periodAll times in U.S. EDT.... ♠ |
||
| Totals | 2724 | 2004 | 720 | 0.736 | 884 | 348 | 0.718 | 36 | 25 | ||||