UNC basketball: Future of Roy Williams with Tar Heels comes into question

How much longer will North Carolina basketball coach Roy Williams lead the Tar Heels before retiring?

Roy Williams is fighting to get North Carolina basketball back in the NCAA Tournament but are sitting squarely on the bubble in the second half of February. The Tar Heels ultimately should make March Madness barring any big upsets, but the lack of signature wins thus far leaves the Heels in the position they’re in.

Williams, 70, is in his 18th season on the North Carolina bench after 15 years with the Kansas Jayhawks. His second act in his Hall of Fame career is why he’s one of the best NCAA basketball coaches to ever grace the game.

However, he’s near the end of his career with only a few more years left in him before retiring. Now. he’s unlikely to walk away and call it a career at the end of this year or even next, but he’s nearing the finish line.

When will Roy Williams retire?

Williams is among a handful of Hall of Fame coaches in a similar spot with retirement looming.

According to Bovada, Jim Boeheim’s +275 odds to retire first top the list. The Syracuse coach is followed by Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski at +400. Williams at +500, Michigan State’s Tom Izzo at +500 and Kentucky’s John Calipari at +650 round out the latest odds on who will be the first to walk away from the game.

UNC is no longer the annual contender they have been used to in the ACC with the rise of programs like Virginia and Florida State, but that challenge will probably keep Williams on the job longer. Williams isn’t going to retire without the Tar Heels in a good position to compete for ACC titles and Final Four berths again.

I’d bet on Williams coaching for at least another five years.

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