Fansided

25 worst coaching hires in the history of college basketball

By Joey Loose

LEXINGTON, KY - JANUARY 21: Head coach Billy Gillispie of the Kentucky Wildcats reacts to the action during the SEC game against the Auburn Tigers at Rupp Arena on January 21, 2009 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
LEXINGTON, KY - JANUARY 21: Head coach Billy Gillispie of the Kentucky Wildcats reacts to the action during the SEC game against the Auburn Tigers at Rupp Arena on January 21, 2009 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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Worst college basketball coach hires
13 Jan 2001: Matt Doherty of the North Carolina Tar Heels calls a play from the sidelines during the Marquette Golden Eagles at the Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The Tar Heels defeated the Golden Eagles 84-54.Mandatory Credit: Craig Jones /Allsport /

20. Matt Doherty – North Carolina (2000-2003)

  • 53-43 record (3 seasons)

Replacing a living legend of the game is no easy task. It’s very rare for the same level of success to be maintained after a legendary coach retires, though I suppose we’ll see if that’s the case at Duke and North Carolina in the coming years. More than two decades ago, Dean Smith called it a career, but the Tar Heels saw longtime aide Bill Guthridge lead the program to a pair of Final Fours in his three seasons in the helm. After his retirement, another head coaching search led them to Matt Doherty; if only Roy Williams had been ready to leave Kansas three years early.

Doherty had played for Dean Smith at North Carolina in the early 1980s, playing alongside legends like Michael Jordan and James Worthy with the Tar Heels. He had spent the last decade as a coach, with most of that on the Kansas staff of Roy Williams. His only head coaching experience had come the previous season at Notre Dame, an acceptable 22-15 season with a near NIT title. Doherty made the transition back home to Chapel Hill, but success did not follow.

There were growing pains for Doherty, but his first Tar Heels team won 26 games before an early exit from the NCAA Tournament. Year two was a disaster, with most of the great players gone, depth issues led North Carolina to an 8-20 season. Doherty was starting to lose the faith of the players and supporters of the program, and he was relieved of his duties after his third year, which ended in an NIT bid. Doherty was not winning games, certainly not as many as this program was used to, but issues between him and his players were definitely a big reason for his dismissal.