By R.L. Bynum
Roy Williams’ support was a big reason North Carolina hired Hubert Davis to succeed him, and the struggles of this season’s team haven’t changed that.
On Monday night, he appeared on “The Zach Gelb Show” on CBS Sports Radio to promote his part in a Verizon program that is erasing debt for thousands of North Carolinians affected by Hurricane Helene.
Toward the end of the nearly 13-minute interview, Gelb got Williams worked up when he asked the Hall of Fame coach about fans questioning whether it’s time to move on from Davis.
“He’s the right person for the job,” Williams said. “It just makes me just cringe.”
Williams then pointed out that Davis led UNC to the national championship game in his first season and a regular-season title last season.
“We’ve had some tough moments this year,” Williams said. “There’s no question about that. But the season’s not over. I think we’re going to make a run here, and I would love for it to turn around 180 degrees so I can look at all those other suckers and tell them to shut up.”
Williams, who said he has missed only two home UNC home games since retiring from coaching, repeated a line he’s said often about his passion for Carolina basketball.
“I had more desire and more want to in my little finger, more passion than all the Carolina fans put together,” Williams said while holding up his right hand. “Hubert Davis may hold up his left hand because he writes left-handed, but he has more passion and more concern in his little finger than all those people put together.”
Williams left little doubt when he retired that he was done with coaching, and he confirmed that when Gelb asked him if he’d consider returning.
“No, I’m done,” Williams said. “I had the best job in the world for Roy Williams as a coach in North Carolina. I’ve had a lot of people ask and some people offer me other jobs. If I was going to work, I’d still be on the sideline with a whistle. I’m done.”
You can listen to the entire interview here.
Photo via screenshot
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