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| | Friday, July 7 Decision refreshing; now Carolina must scramble | |||||
| By Andy Katz ESPN.com Roy Williams' stunning decision to stay at Kansas means he will have his own legacy instead of continuing one started by Dean Smith nearly 40 years ago. Williams' loyalty to his players and to the program that he has kept at an elite level was akin to Michigan State's Tom Izzo staying with the Spartans instead of accepting the Atlanta Hawks' offer. At an age when too many coaches are changing jobs with little regard for their current players, Williams' decision is a fresh change of events. His decision doesn't mean Kansas is a better job than North Carolina; it simply means that the Jayhawks are a better fit for Williams. Williams' decision proves that Dean Smith can be turned down by one of his coaching offspring. And Williams might not be the last to spurn the Tar Heels. Bill Guthridge's decision at the end of June may end up burning North Carolina because of its timing. Many assumed the next target for the Tar Heels would be South Carolina's Eddie Fogler, a former Tar Heel assistant with Williams. However, Fogler released a statement Friday saying he has withdrawn his name from consideration. "I'm excited about the upcoming season and our program here at the University of South Carolina," said Fogler. "Last year's team showed great improvement in February and at the SEC tournament, and we look forward to building on that momentum." The Tar Heels now will likely look to former player and current Sixers coach Larry Brown. Brown is willing to go back to college after an exhaustive stint in the NBA following his 1988 national title at Kansas. Carolina alumn George Karl has talked about coaching the Heels as a dream job, but sources within the Milwaukee Bucks have told ESPN.com that Karl doesn't think the timing is right for him to leave the Bucks. The three other possible Smith offspring candidates are present assistant coach Phil Ford, despite a DUI arrest last fall; Tulsa coach Buzz Peterson, who has been on his current job less than a month; and Tennessee Tech coach Jeff Lebo. It's unlikely that North Carolina would pursue a coach outside of the Smith family tree, such as Boston Celtics coach Rick Pitino or former Georgetown coach John Thompson. Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com. | ALSO SEE Williams says no to UNC, stays at Kansas Weekly Word: Keep what you have ESPN.com users weigh in on Williams Roy Williams' coaching record, timeline AUDIO/VIDEO   Athletic Director Dick Baddour was disappointed, but says UNC will move on.wav: 83 k RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6 | |||||