UNC Basketball: Top 10 moments for Tar Heels in 2020-21

Roy Williams wins game No. 903

by Blake Cockrum

Watching Roy Williams capture his 903rd career victory to pass Bobby Knight for third-place on the all-time wins list was incredible. And it was incredible whether or not you’re a fan of the Tar Heels, the Kansas Jayhawks or just college basketball in general. Few would argue that the way Williams has won his 900-plus games was with anything other than hard work and class, and he’s one of the most respected figures in the history of the profession as a result.

Williams now sits behind just two coaches on that list; Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski (1,170) and Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim (982). And despite the fact that the trio of Hall-of-Fame head coaches are a combined 220 years of age, it looks like each of them, Williams included, have both the time and inclination to add to their respective win totals.

Williams, who didn’t even begin coaching until the ripe old age of 38, was the fastest to reach the 900-win plateau, an achievement that even his mentor, Dean Smith, didn’t accomplish in his brilliant 36-year stint as the head coach in Chapel Hill.

That’s not to say that Williams’ career overshadows that of Smith, or that the student has surpassed the teacher. It is, however, a tribute to what Williams has done since taking over the head coaching position at the University of Kansas some 33 years ago.