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http://espn.go.com/ncb/news/2003/0414/1538970.html
quote:
LAWRENCE, Kan. -- Roy Williams told the Kansas Jayhawks he is leaving to coach North Carolina, his beloved alma mater, according to players who attended a meeting with him Monday.
The decision comes three years after Williams rejected an offer to take over the Tar Heels' storied basketball program, where he learned his craft as an assistant under Dean Smith.
"It's sad for the program and the players who are here," said Jeff Boschee, who graduated from Kansas last year. "It's tough for them."
Williams' return to Chapel Hill, N.C., ends his 15-year tenure at a program he helped turn into one of the nation's most successful.
The fourth fastest coach in NCAA Division I history to win 400 games, Williams (418-101) won nine conference championships at Kansas and took the Jayhawks to the past 14 NCAA tournaments, including title games this season and in 1991.
After his team meeting, Williams flew to Chapel Hill, where the school scheduled a 10 p.m. ET news conference about its basketball program. Kansas chancellor Robert Hemenway said a statement from the school would be released during North Carolina's news conference.
"This is personal fellas. There is something I want to say," a choked-up Williams told reporters after the meeting. "This has been a special place. I really appreciate the way you have treated me."
Not all the Jayhawks in the half-hour meeting at Allen Fieldhouse were sad after hearing the news. Wayne Simien, who dislocated his shoulder in January and later had season-ending surgery, appeared angry.
"I gave my right arm for him, literally," said Simien, wearing a sling.
Stephen Vinson, a freshman walk-on, added: "I'm sure you can imagine it was not a good time in there."
Williams emerged teary-eyed from the meeting and refused to reveal his decision, saying he would announce it at the news conference.
The jet carrying Williams from Lawrence's municipal airport was en route to Chapel Hill, said Lloyd Hetrick, of Hetrick Aviation Services.
Williams lost last week to Syracuse in the national championship game and angrily refused to answer questions about the North Carolina job after the game.
Williams will replace Matt Doherty, who resigned shortly before the Final Four.
Williams' fierce loyalty to his players kept him in Kansas when he was first offered the job in Chapel Hill three years ago, and many Jayhawks fans hoped he would stay in Lawrence for good.
In June 2000, Williams spent an agonizing week following the retirement of North Carolina coach Bill Guthridge, forced to choose between two programs that desperately wanted him.
After a weeklong vacation at his home in South Carolina, and a day spent in Lawrence thinking it over, Williams announced his decision to 16,000 Jayhawk fans at Memorial Stadium.
"I'm staying," Williams said simply.
Given a second chance at North Carolina, he decided to go.
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Espn also has a list of top coaches Kansas will be going after:Bill Self, Illinois
Tom Crean, Marquette
Mike Brey, Notre Dame
Mark Few, Gonzaga
Mark Turgeon, Wichita State
Apperently I'm going to end up eating my words when I said Bill Self would stay at Illinois. I have friends who are already betting on what day Self says goodbye. I've heard talk that Cean(sp?) of Marquette would be the likely replacement at Illinois. Anyone know anything about him?
Oh yeah, my roommate has threatened to kill someone is Charlie Villenueva goes straight to the NBA because Self leaves. So if I stop posting on the day Self leaves, you'll know why 
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H Tower
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Tommorow is Bill Self Appreciation Day, everyone is supposed to leave signs outside the practice facility and then show up outside the hotel where the team banquet is. All in the hope of getting him to stay.
Whatever happened at Kentucky? I heard somewhere about Tubby Smith leaving or something like that.
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asleepathewheel
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listening too long to one song
Mar 2002
time: 00:27
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quote:
If Kentucky athletics director Mitch Barnhart is being told the truth, the coaching carousel won't include the Wildcats.
According to Barnhart, Kentucky coach Tubby Smith told the AD that he doesn't want another college job, or a coaching spot in the NBA.
"He said he had no interest in the NBA, no interest in the pros, none,'' Barnhart said Monday of his conversation with Smith last week. "He doesn't want another college job, and said he has the best college job.
"He said he just wants to be here."
Smith hasn't signed his long-term contract offer with Kentucky, but the two sides are expected to come closer on a deal by midweek. The last piece of the puzzle is the length of the contract. Smith has told Barnhart how long he'd like to stay on, and the athletic director is trying to factor that into the deal.
The financial side of the contract shouldn't be as tough. Smith already makes over $1 million, and could become the highest-paid collegiate coach with this new deal.
Andy Katz is a senior writer for ESPN.com.
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Self just did an interview on Fox, yes, I said Fox. Local news though, so hopefully not as bad. Anyways, fromt eh way Self was talking, he will NOT be going to Kansas!   Of course this might mean he's playing for more money from Kansas, but I've got some hope now.
quote:
With his roots recently planted in Champaign, Bill Self is torn over whether to even entertain the thought of leaving Illinois for Kansas.
The Jayhawks, who lost longtime coach Roy Williams to North Carolina on Monday night, have not offered Self the job, nor have they asked Illinois permission to speak to him.
Self is aware, according to sources, that he would be Kansas' top choice to replace Williams. Illinois in December rewarded him with a contract extension that will pay him $5 million if he remains Illini coach all five years.
"We're on the cusp of doing something great here," Self told The Associated Press before the team's annual postseason banquet Tuesday night. "There is a ton of incentive to stay," Self said. "My family's happy, I'm happy and we're going to be good (next year)."
The Illini will be good enough to rank among the top 20 to start next season. Illinois has one of the richest in-state recruiting pools and some recruiting analysts are saying there could be as many as 16 Division I high school sophomore prospects in the state.
Self is scheduled to leave Wednesday for a family vacation in Florida, which is interesting because the last time he went to Florida on a vacation -- three years ago in May -- the Illinois job opened. That's when Self left Tulsa to succeed Lon Kruger in Champaign.
Self has strong Big 12 ties from his time spent working as an assistant under Larry Brown at Kansas and tenure as a player and assistant coach at Oklahoma State. Self has always considered the Kansas job a "dream position." Yet he has been successful in the Big Ten, taking Illinois to Elite Eight, Sweet 16 and second-round appearances.
Kansas officials say they plan to request permission soon to speak to Self but won't restrict their search to him alone. Sources have confirmed that Kansas has been selective in forming its pool of candidates. Aside from Self, the Jayhawks will try to pursue Marquette's Tom Crean and Gonzaga's Mark Few, and Notre Dame's Mike Brey and Wichita State's Mark Turgeon are also on their wish list. Gonzaga has not been asked permission by Kansas to speak to Few, while Kansas' calls to Marquette were not returned.
Sources close to Self said he expects to decide within days whether he would like to be included in Kansas' search. Kansas officials told ESPN.com that they want this process wrapped up in a matter of days, not weeks.
Williams coached the Jayhawks for 15 seasons, won nine conference championships, made the NCAA tournament 14 straight years, reached the Final Four four times and the national championship game twice.
Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com.
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Don't know yet, I had class till about 5:30 and only saw the tail end of the interview, and my roommate the sports writer isn't home yet to give me the inside scoop
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15-04-2003 06:10
) but it showed he could coach. Would be a good hire for any mid-major program like the U of I 
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