University of North Carolina Athletics
Car-O-Lines
July 12, 2000 | Men's Basketball
July 12, 2000
by Rick Brewer
When Bill Guthridge resigned as North Carolina's head basketball coach 11 days ago, both he and Dean Smith said they hoped his replacement would be someone with Tar Heel ties.
Athletic Director Dick Baddour indicated he would get guidance from the two former coaches as he sought a new coach. He also said it would be nice to have someone with a Carolina background, but he would try to find the best coach possible to run the program.
When Matt Doherty was introduced as the new Tar Heel coach Tuesday night, he made it clearer why having someone with UNC ties as head coach here was so important.
Smith and Guthridge always said they didn't have basketball teams at Carolina. They had a program. Maintaining that concept was important to a great many people.
"Coach Smith always had a special way of doing things," said Doherty. "By being part of his basketball 'family,' I think I have a greater appreciation for it than an outsider would. The way the current players are treated, the emphasis on academics, the ties to former players are all part of what has made this program so great."
Doherty said that all hit him Tuesday morning when he got a 7:30 a.m. phone call from Michael Jordan.
"We talked about the situation here and my job at Notre Dame," said Doherty.
"I've only been in South Bend one year and the Notre Dame people gave me a great opportunity when they hired me as head coach there. When our conversation was ending, Michael said that Carolina might go 'outside the family' for its next coach if I didn't get the job. That settled things in my mind.
"I got a call from Mr. Baddour this afternoon, offering me the position. I had no doubts that this was the place to be. It's the best coaching job in the country - the Lakers, the Bulls, as well as any other college."
Doherty's concerns had been his short stay at Notre Dame and his players there. But, this was an opportunity to come home.
Not really home, of course. A native of East Meadow, N.Y., he had spent four years here as a player on the 1981-82-83-84 teams. He was a starter for his last three years and was a forward on the great 1982 national championship team.
The 6-8 Doherty was regarded by many as a "complimentary" player to stars like Jordan, James Worthy, Sam Perkins, Brad Daugherty and Kenny Smith. He scored 1,165 points in his career and handed out 446 assists. He averaged in double figures in scoring only once, finishing at 10.5 as a junior in 1983. He had his career scoring high that year with 28 points against Clemson in the ACC Tournament.
But, he was an extremely intelligent player who had a knack for making the right play. He also developed into a fine defender and was chosen the team's best defensive player in 1983.
His last real public appearance here before he was introduced as the 17th head coach in Carolina history came in his last home game against Duke in 1984. Most people remember that mainly as the last home game for Perkins, who was also a senior, and for Jordan, who would pass up his final year of eligibility to enter the NBA draft.
However, it was Doherty who saved that day from being a disastrous loss. A three-point play by Mark Alarie had given Duke a 73-71 lead with just 20 seconds to play. When Daugherty fouled out, crashing the offensive boards after a missed shot, the Blue Devils had a chance to ice the game with only nine seconds left. But Danny Meagher missed the front end of a one-and-one opportunity. After a Carolina timeout, Doherty got open from the left of the lane and drilled a 12-foot jumper with just a second on the clock that tied the game. The Tar Heels went on to win in double overtime, 96-83.
Doherty's line in the boxscore that day was typical of his career: 12 points, five rebounds, three assists and no turnovers in 46 minutes of action.
What kind of coach will Doherty be?
Well, last year he guided the Irish to a 22-15 record and a second-place finish to Wake Forest in the NIT. That was the most wins by Notre Dame since the 1988-89 season. His team twice defeated defending NCAA champion Connecticut.
"I was fortunate to have some good young players who were willing to work to become even better," said Doherty. "I know there are excellent players in our program here. I don't want to just walk the ball up the court. We'll be as aggressive as possible. But, a lot of what we do will be dictated by our personnel.
"For example, last year we played a different type zone defense than Coach Smith and Coach Guthridge have used. But, that's what worked for us.
"The most important thing is to get to know the players here and for them to get to know me. They're the most important people in our program. After them come our possible recruits and then the former players. I want them to be a part of our program, to come back often, to have the summer pickup games like they always have. I don't know how many tickets we get for games here, but our former players will always be welcome.
"I remember watching the 1977 NCAA Tournament send seeing a guy from New Jersey score 31 points for Carolina in the national semi-finals against UNLV. I wore 31 in high school because of what I saw Mike O'Koren do that day."
That's why there was such a great desire to find a coach from "within the family" to run the program. It's important for someone with ties and memories like that to be the Carolina head coach. Smith and Guthridge have been building special relationships over almost four decades. Someone who has been part of that was needed to maintain them.
