University of North Carolina Athletics
Post-Press Conference Coach & Player Quotes
June 30, 2000 | Men's Basketball
June 30, 2000
Quotes from Bill Guthridge Retirement Press Conference June 30, 2000
Assistant Coach Pat Sullivan: I'm proud to be a part of Coach Guthridge's life and to know him and Coach Smith as well. I'm really happy for him (Coach Guthridge) and his family. He's meant so much to this University and this community.
I've only been doing this for three years, and I'm young. I know it can be tiring. I couldn't imagine doing for as long as these guys.
I don't think it (the pressure) affected him. I didn't sense that he was tired, but only he can feel that.
He only had about two days off after we lost to Florida in the Final Four. He didn't have a day off for about 25 or 30 days. And one of the nights off he had the team over for dinner, and he was in front of the grill cooking. I can't call that a night off.
When you go outside (The Dean Smith Center) and look at what Coach Smith and Coach Guthridge have created here, it's a happy day, but in some ways it's a sad day to see that come to an end. There is no other program I can think of where you have that kind of continuity for so long and have that greatness for so long. Just doing it the right way. Teaching us (the players) about being great young men and teaching us about life and not just basketball.
Jason Capel: I thought he would be here until I graduated. It's a sad day for me personally because I feel very close to Coach Guthridge, and it's going to be very different not having him there to go talk to.
He's a very genuine person, a very caring person. He's been there for me since I got here. He's always somebody I could go talk to and always somebody you knew was going to be in your corner, no matter what, through any difficult situation. Im going to miss that.
(on the new coach) I think we can adjust to anybody. Somebody that is going to come in and push us to excel, the same way Coach Guthridge did. Someone to carry on the Carolina tradition.
(on hearing Coach Guthridge's decision) I was shocked. We found out yesterday, and it was just total disbelief. Everybody was really quiet. It's sad because it's something that you know could happen, but it's something you never expect to happen. It was very tough hearing it, and now that it's finalized it makes it even harder.
Ronald Curry: We're still kind of in shock. It's like one big family. When everybody counted us out we stuck together, and he was like the father of the family. To see him go is like losing a parent.
Former UNC Player Shammond Williams: I think the program is going to continue progressing. A lot of the guys have made strides to become better basketball players as well as individuals. Whoever comes in as the successor to Coach Guthridge is going to be the type of individual that can help those guys continue to progress as individuals. I think it's going to be a great opportunity for someone to coach a great group of guys.
