College Basketball Coach. A longtime assistant to the legendary Dean Smith, he shall be remembered for his three seasons as head coach of the University of North Carolina Tar Heels. Born William Wallace Guthridge, he attended Kansas State University where he played guard on the basketball team and helped the Wildcats to the 1958 Final Four. Following his 1960 graduation, he was head coach at Scott City High School for two years, then served as an assistant at his alma mater before being hired by his childhood friend Smith in 1967. Over the coming decades he helped lead the squad to two National Championships while mentoring numerous superstars, always remaining loyal to Carolina Blue despite head coaching offers from Arkansas and Penn State, then when Coach Smith retired in October of 1997, Coach Guthridge was given a five year contract. In his three seasons at the helm, the Tar Heels won 98 while losing 28, captured the 1998 ACC Tournament, reached the Final Four twice, and earned him the 1998 Naismith College Coach of the Year Award. Retiring in 2000, he remained a part of the Tar Heel community, keeping an office on campus and staying active as long as he was able; the Coach was elected to the North Carolina Sports Hall-of-Fame in 2013 and died in a nursing facility after a protracted illness.
College Basketball Coach. A longtime assistant to the legendary Dean Smith, he shall be remembered for his three seasons as head coach of the University of North Carolina Tar Heels. Born William Wallace Guthridge, he attended Kansas State University where he played guard on the basketball team and helped the Wildcats to the 1958 Final Four. Following his 1960 graduation, he was head coach at Scott City High School for two years, then served as an assistant at his alma mater before being hired by his childhood friend Smith in 1967. Over the coming decades he helped lead the squad to two National Championships while mentoring numerous superstars, always remaining loyal to Carolina Blue despite head coaching offers from Arkansas and Penn State, then when Coach Smith retired in October of 1997, Coach Guthridge was given a five year contract. In his three seasons at the helm, the Tar Heels won 98 while losing 28, captured the 1998 ACC Tournament, reached the Final Four twice, and earned him the 1998 Naismith College Coach of the Year Award. Retiring in 2000, he remained a part of the Tar Heel community, keeping an office on campus and staying active as long as he was able; the Coach was elected to the North Carolina Sports Hall-of-Fame in 2013 and died in a nursing facility after a protracted illness.
Bio by: Bob Hufford
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