11 Facts About Bill Guthridge

William Wallace Guthridge was an American college basketball coach.

Bill Guthridge initially gained recognition after serving for thirty years as Dean Smith's assistant at the University of North Carolina and summing many wins as a result.

Bill Guthridge took the team to the NCAA Final Four twice and was named national coach of the year in 1998, before retiring in 2000.

Bill Guthridge was a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity.

Bill Guthridge handled many day-to-day responsibilities in the program and oversaw UNC's summer basketball camps.

School officials stressed that Bill Guthridge was not merely a placeholder for then-Kansas coach Roy Williams, signing him to a five-year contract.

Bill Guthridge is one of five people to have appeared in the Final Four as both a player and coach.

In 1998, Bill Guthridge inherited a team that had been to the 1997 Final Four the previous year under Smith.

Bill Guthridge coached that team to the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament championship, a school record-tying 34 wins and an appearance in the Final Four, where they lost to Utah.

Bill Guthridge retired after the season, having spent the first 43 years of his adult life as a player, high school coach, and college coach.

Bill Guthridge died at his home on May 12,2015, after an extended illness, alongside his family.