When people speak of Roy Williams, they often begin with numbers — three national championships, countless wins, and his place among the greatest coaches in college basketball history. But in North Carolina, his story is written not just in banners hanging from the rafters, but in the lives he touched and the love he freely gave. From offering scholarships to students who lost seasons to the pandemic, to embracing families, children, and communities with a grandfatherly smile, Roy Williams has long been more than a coach. He has been a caretaker of Carolina’s spirit — a reminder that legacy is not measured solely in victories, but in kindness.
The photo of Williams cradling a baby in his arms while surrounded by children in Carolina blue says more about the man than any box score ever could. His gentle grin, the joy in his eyes, and the ease with which he holds the youngest Tar Heel fan capture the essence of why he is beloved in North Carolina. He has always been more than X’s and O’s. He has been family.
A Coach, A Mentor, A Neighbor
Williams’ career is legendary: over 900 career wins, three NCAA championships (2005, 2009, 2017), and induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Yet if you walk across Chapel Hill, you’ll find people who don’t talk first about championships. They talk about Roy shaking hands at church. They remember him stopping to chat with fans at the grocery store. They smile when recalling how he hugged former players as though they were his own sons.
Roy Williams was never just the architect of a basketball dynasty; he was the steady presence of a man who made everyone around him feel like they mattered. His office door was always open, and whether you were Michael Jordan, Tyler Hansbrough, or a walk-on who never saw minutes, you knew you had a place in his heart.
Generosity That Changed Lives
Perhaps the most telling example of his character came in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic cut short the seasons of UNC spring sports athletes. Many seniors were devastated — robbed of their final year of competition, unsure if they could afford to return. That’s when Roy and Wanda Williams quietly stepped in. The couple donated more than $600,000 to fund scholarships for those athletes, ensuring that dreams didn’t die with the shutdown.
It was a gesture that went far beyond basketball. Williams wasn’t required to do it, nor did he seek attention for it. But it revealed a deep truth: to Roy, Carolina was family, and family doesn’t abandon its own.
The Power of Presence
Williams has always had a rare gift — the power of presence. Whether in a locker room or a hospital room, his mere presence brought comfort. Former players often describe how Roy made them feel valued beyond their performance on the court.
One former Tar Heel said, “Coach never let you forget that basketball was part of your life, but not your whole life. He wanted us to be men, to be husbands, to be fathers. He cared about the person before he cared about the player.”
That same philosophy extended to the wider community. Williams and his wife Wanda became fixtures at community events, fundraisers, and local causes. They showed up not because cameras were there, but because people needed them.
A Grandfatherly Touch
The image of Roy holding a baby while surrounded by children isn’t unusual. He has long embraced the role of a grandfatherly figure within the Carolina family. To players, fans, and even strangers, he exuded the warmth of someone who truly enjoyed being around people.
At basketball camps, he was as likely to bend down and tie a child’s shoelaces as he was to give a motivational speech. At games, fans often spotted him laughing with kids or taking pictures with families. He understood that basketball was a connector — a bridge between generations.
This human side of Roy Williams helped cement his status as more than a coach. He became a symbol of continuity in a world that changes too quickly — someone who made people feel at home in the Dean Dome.
The Brotherhood He Built
Roy Williams’ legacy also lives in the brotherhood of Carolina basketball. Players like Tyler Hansbrough, Raymond Felton, Ty Lawson, and countless others describe how Williams instilled a sense of lifelong connection.
When Hansbrough was inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame, Roy was there, smiling with pride. His words weren’t about himself but about the young man he had mentored: “I’ve been blessed to coach many players, but Tyler’s passion, toughness, and love for this game made him one of the all-time greats. I couldn’t be prouder of him.”
That was classic Roy Williams — turning the spotlight away from himself and shining it on others.
More Than Wins and Banners
It would be easy to define Roy Williams by the banners that hang inside the Dean Smith Center. But those banners are only a fraction of his story. His real championship is in the scholarships he helped fund, the families he embraced, and the countless young men he guided into adulthood.
Williams himself once said, “At the end of the day, they won’t remember how many games I won. I hope they remember that I cared about them.”
And that is precisely how people in North Carolina remember him.
A Lasting Legacy
When Roy Williams retired in 2021, the basketball world paused. Analysts debated where he ranked among the greatest coaches, but in Chapel Hill, the conversations sounded different. People wondered how they could ever repay him for all he had given — not just to the university, but to the state, to its children, to its future.
Roy Williams gave North Carolina more than championships. He gave it heart. He gave it compassion. He gave it himself. And in return, he became something greater than a legend — he became family.
Conclusion
The photo of Roy Williams holding a baby while surrounded by children is more than a snapshot; it is a portrait of his soul. It shows the side of him that statistics cannot capture — the warmth, the humility, the genuine love of people.
Roy Williams’ name will forever echo in the halls of basketball history. But in North Carolina, his name carries a softer, more profound meaning. It stands for kindness. It stands for family. It stands for love that reaches far beyond the hardwood.
That is why Roy Williams is beloved. Not only as a coach, but as a man whose heart beat in rhythm with Carolina blue.
