Roy Williams

Roy Williams cut his teeth in basketball as an assistant under Dean Smith, learning the game from one of the greatest winners and finest teachers at any level in any sport. After spending ten years as an assistant coach at North Carolina, Williams landed the head coaching position at Kansas University in 1988 and led the Jayhawks to four Final Fours, including the 1991 national semifinal game when Williams faced his mentor and basketball godfather, Dean Smith. In 2004, Williams returned home to his alma mater as head coach where his secondary fast break and stingy man-to-man defense helped North Carolina capture the 2005 national championship, capping a 33-4 season. Three seasons later, the Tar Heels were back at the top. At the time of his enshrinement, Williams owned the highest winning percentage in the nation among active coaches with ten years of experience and fourth highest in history. He is the third coach to direct two schools to the national championship game. He coached his teams to 30 or more wins eight times in his first 20 seasons and remains one of the most highly respected coaches and top program builders in the history of college basketball.