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NCAA basketball: Ranking the 25 best college basketball coaches ever

By Nate Williamson

Mike Krzyzewski, Duke Blue Devils, Roy Williams, North Carolina Tar Heels. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
Mike Krzyzewski, Duke Blue Devils, Roy Williams, North Carolina Tar Heels. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
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Best college basketball coaches ever
(Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /

No. 5: Roy Williams

Not the last North Carolina Tar Heels head coach that we’ll touch on this list, Roy Williams is a shoo-in for a spot near the top of our pecking order.

Williams has locked in 467 wins in his tenure as a head coach of the Tar Heels but has logged 885 wins throughout his career, losing just 253 total games, putting him at No. 4 on the all-time wins list between his head coaching gigs.

Starting out his career as a head coach at Charles D. Owen High School in Black Mountain, N.C., Williams worked his way up to an assistant position at his home state’s flagship school, before a hugely successful 15-year run with the Kansas Jayhawks in the head coaching position.

Pairing the success he had with the Jayhawks, which included four Final Four appearances, Williams and his fast-break offense have claimed a total of three NCAA Tournament championships, nine Final Four appearances, two AP Coach of the Year awards, a John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching Award and numerous other accolades.

Williams’ teams have produced the likes of 45 NBA players and an impressive .805 win percentage. A Basketball Hall of Famer since 2007, Williams is a lock in the upper-echelon of coaching, despite vacated wins.