Coach Guthridge Has Passed
- Thread starter BillyL
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May God bless his family. My prays go out to them.
Coach Gut was one half of one of the best tandems to ever coach the game of hoops...RIP Coach!
Another tough loss for the UNC family, just three months after DES.
He was a important and underappreciated part of the program's success. He was also a fine man. Prayers for his friends and family. RIP, Coach.
What he was able to do with that team in 2000 was nothing short of remarkable. I'm sad but I take comfort in knowing that he and Dean are back together probably drawing up some schemes.
I think Gut has always been under appreciated for his contributions to Tar Heel basketball. Our real legacy was created by the Dean of coaches coach Smith but always by his side was coach Gut. Gut had many opportunities to be the had coach at other schools but coach Gut understood something that now days seems like a notion of the past, coach Gut was the very definition of loyal. Loyal to his best friend Dean, Loyal to the UNC program, loyal to its supporters. Coach Gut never sought out the lime light, matter of fact he wanted to retire with Dean, Dean talked him in to staying and taking over the job, Gut only took the head job when Dean retired because Dean wanted it that way. You see, loyality between those 2 men was unquestionable.
Many now days seem some what less than thrilled that Gut took over for Roy, many at the time he did wanted to bring Roy back but Dean knew, Gut did to that there had to be a transition coach come in directly after a legend steps away and that transition coach is never going to be accepted, it was just a thing the program had to go thru and yet in doing so Gut still coached UNC basketball to final 4s.
And what about Gut's time as Dean's assistant, it was Gut that worked with the big men, was a real key in the UNC success at working the ball in to our bigs for those high % shots that won us so many games, that enticed so many great big men to wear Carolina Blue during their college days. WE were/are so willing to portray the legacy that is UNC basketball as being about Dean Smith and deserved but always by Dean's side was coach Gut, be it Robin to Dean's Batman, be it Poncho to Dean's Cisco, always the trusted friend, Gut was always there at Dean's side and maybe none of us will ever truly understand how much that did mean to Dean but had Dean been able to talk about this passing of his good friend today Dean would have credited Gut with at least as much of the reason UNC was successful under his watch and likely even more knowing Dean. And doing so Gut would have quickly spoken up, no Dean, I could never have done what you have and you know Dean would have told the man that, I could not have achieved what I have with you Gut.
Some how I just knew with Dean's passing that it would not be long before we discovered that we had as well lost Coach Gut, well heaven not only has its head coach but it also has his assistant, his right hand man, his good friend for all those many years, some how you just knew one could not be without the other for long, together again, as it is, as it should be, as it will now be forever.
RIP coach Gut, you will never be forgotten...
Many now days seem some what less than thrilled that Gut took over for Roy, many at the time he did wanted to bring Roy back but Dean knew, Gut did to that there had to be a transition coach come in directly after a legend steps away and that transition coach is never going to be accepted, it was just a thing the program had to go thru and yet in doing so Gut still coached UNC basketball to final 4s.
And what about Gut's time as Dean's assistant, it was Gut that worked with the big men, was a real key in the UNC success at working the ball in to our bigs for those high % shots that won us so many games, that enticed so many great big men to wear Carolina Blue during their college days. WE were/are so willing to portray the legacy that is UNC basketball as being about Dean Smith and deserved but always by Dean's side was coach Gut, be it Robin to Dean's Batman, be it Poncho to Dean's Cisco, always the trusted friend, Gut was always there at Dean's side and maybe none of us will ever truly understand how much that did mean to Dean but had Dean been able to talk about this passing of his good friend today Dean would have credited Gut with at least as much of the reason UNC was successful under his watch and likely even more knowing Dean. And doing so Gut would have quickly spoken up, no Dean, I could never have done what you have and you know Dean would have told the man that, I could not have achieved what I have with you Gut.
Some how I just knew with Dean's passing that it would not be long before we discovered that we had as well lost Coach Gut, well heaven not only has its head coach but it also has his assistant, his right hand man, his good friend for all those many years, some how you just knew one could not be without the other for long, together again, as it is, as it should be, as it will now be forever.
RIP coach Gut, you will never be forgotten...
Heaven's bball team just got their assistant coach. RIP Gut, a legendary Tar Heel.
Wow, another UNC basketball legend!! Prayers go out
to his family and former players. Coach Guthridge did
an amazing job as an assistant and when he took over
as the head coach. It is tough to follow a legend, but
he made it bearable when he led the Heels to 2 final
fours in 3 years. RIP Coach!!
to his family and former players. Coach Guthridge did
an amazing job as an assistant and when he took over
as the head coach. It is tough to follow a legend, but
he made it bearable when he led the Heels to 2 final
fours in 3 years. RIP Coach!!
I remember standing in front of Granville Towers one morning during basketball camp and him explaining to me why high school coaches were finding it hard to compete with AAU coaches. "You've got to understand," he said. "The high school coach says, "Johnny, you've got to pick up those grades in Algebra." The AAU coach says, "Johnny, you want a new pair of shoes?"
Coach was a great guy.
Coach was a great guy.
Many Carolina fans don't know the story behind the timing of Dean's retirement. Dean retired so close to the start of a season so the school could not go in any other direction but Coach Gut. Dean also wanted Gut to be able to retire on a head coach's salary. Coach Gut needed 3 years at his higher salary so he could retire with a higher state pension.
i went to dean smith's basketball camp two summers in a row in 1967-68. Coach guthridge (nobody called him coach gut back then) had just joined the carolina staff. he was directly involved with the kids every day, he was very patient in his coaching style and all the kids liked him. i value that memory and the great opportunity to be coached by such a fine gentleman.
DSouthr, I would say that your entire post is noteworthy. Coach Guthridge was once amongst the people that I counted as a friend. He will be missed. His legacy was and is servitude to UNC basketball and thus, UNC. He will remain one of the most prominent people ever to grace the very foundations of Chapel Hill. May he rest in peace...
Enough cannot be said on how Coach Smith stepped down (with a few good years still left) so that Coach Guthridge could retire as a head coach. Coach Smith knew this would greatly improve his financial retirement down the road. The greatest pilot and co-pilot are now together again.
At the DES celebration it occured to me that it would be fitting, despite being very sad, for Coach Gut to leave us in close proximity to Coach Smith. Godspeed Coach Gut.
QUOTE: "Some how I just knew with Dean's passing that it would not be long before we discovered that we had as well lost Coach Gut, well heaven not only has its head coach but it also has his assistant, his right hand man, his good friend for all those many years, some how you just knew one could not be without the other for long, together again, as it is, as it should be, as it will now be forever."
DSouthr - credit to you for such a prominent and powerful statement!!! That last line got me all choked up.
DSouthr - credit to you for such a prominent and powerful statement!!! That last line got me all choked up.
I too was not surprised today. Sad none the less. It just feels "right" that they are back together again. It reminds me of stories of older couples who have lived 50-60 years together and then when one dies the other follows within a year. They feel lost without their best friend and partner. I have to imagine that in heaven now the Basketball dream team is back together and the blue-white games and golf games have been elevated to a new high. I must say that 77 sure does feel young. Especially as I look at my 75 yr old parents. RIP and my love and light surround his family.
guess we all knew it was coming...still makes it difficult.
what a classy gentleman and coach he was.
What a lot of folks don't know is that Gut only took the job because Dean wanted it that way, as you say, Dean wanted Gut to be able to retire with head coaches retirement money rather than assistent level money. The difference was huge but the only reason Gut did it was Dean just would not have it any other way. Gut had to be talked in to not just taking the job in the first place but every single one of those 3 years he held the job, again, dean was the ONLY one that could have talked him in to staying. IN testomoney about the character of the man that Gut was, he didn't want the head coaches job at UNC because he just felt it was Dean's job and he could not take Dean's job, he NEVER got over that feeling.
Dean knew, that had he announced that he was stepping down earlier that the powers that be were not going to look at Gut to take over, nor was Gut in any way looking to put his hat in the ring. It was really amazing how alike Dean and Gut were but Dean caring so much for his good friend, the man that had been by his side for all those years that he would not have it any other way than his friend to be able to retire with a much larger monthly check as well as the honor of being the head coach at such a storied program...and that man not wanting to take it because he just didn't feel right about taking his friends job.
How do words describe just such a friendship so that every one can really understand it, I can use a word like loyality but it just doesn't seem to be enough and I am sorry that I don't have a more powerful word.
A GREAT Man and a true gentleman
Thank you coach for your loyalty and love for Coach Smith and Carolina basketball
R I P Friend
Thank you coach for your loyalty and love for Coach Smith and Carolina basketball
R I P Friend
GoHeels.com has posted a video Celebration of Coach Bill Guthridge.
Certainly worth two and a half minutes of your day.
Certainly worth two and a half minutes of your day.
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