Basketball fans are taking to Twitter to voice their support for a former Philadelphia 76ers lottery pick as a candidate to be the next men’s basketball coach at the University of North Carolina.
The school announced Thursday that longtime head coach Roy Williams is retiring after a 48-year coaching career that included 33 seasons as a collegiate head coach and three national titles. He led the Kansas Jayhawks for 15 years before taking over Tar Heels program and winning all three of his championships with UNC.
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Many followers of the college game and NBA alike expressed gratitude, sadness, and shock in the wake of Williams’ decision, but the conversation quickly turned to who the icon’s replacement could be. One of the popular names floating across social media has been former Sixers guard Jerry Stackhouse.
Who’s supposed to coach Carolina now?? Jerry Stackhouse BOOK IT.
Jerry Stackhouse would also be great for UNC.
Currently coaching at Vanderbilt, Stackhouse told me on Scoop B Radio that his biggest influences were Dean Smith, Gregg Popovich, Avery Johnson, Don Nelson and Rick Carlisle.
He’s also a North Carolina legend.
North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Jerry Stackhouse
For many reasons, Stackhouse may make sense as a serious candidate for the gig. The 46-year-old is a North Carolina native and played for the program under legendary coach Dean Smith.
In his two years at UNC, Stackhouse played in 69 games, averaging 15.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. A first team All-American during the 1994-1995 campaign, his number 42 has been honored by the Tar Heels.
Since retiring from the NBA following the 2012-2013 season, Stackhouse has held four coaching jobs, including his current role as the lead man for the Vanderbilt Commodores men’s basketball team.
Stackhouse’s 18-Season NBA Career All Started in Philadelphia
GettyVanderbilt head coach Jerry Stackhouse during a January 2020 game against Kentucky.
After his two seasons in Chapel Hill, Stackhouse entered the 1995 NBA Draft and was selected by the Sixers as the third overall pick. Though Philadelphia struggled mightily record-wise during his two-plus seasons with the club, Stackhouse began to make a name for himself as a solid young player.
He led the Sixers in scoring during his rookie season at 19.2 points per game and was named to the All-Rookie team. “Stack” upped his scoring to 20.7 points per contest and increased his rebounds per game to 4.2 during his second season and started and played in 81 of the team’s 82 games.
Midway through the 1997-1998 season, Stackhouse was traded to the Detroit Pistons in a blockbluster deal that landed the Sixers Aaron McKie and Theo Ratliff among others. After the trade, he went on to spend five seasons in Detroit – making his only two All-Star teams – before playing for six other franchises in his career.
Sixers Forward Says Williams ‘Like a Father Figure’ to Him
GettyFormer University of North Carolina men’s basketball player Danny Green celebrates winning the 2009 national championship game.
Among the current and former Tar Heels discussing Williams’ decision Thursday was Sixers forward Danny Green. The four-year UNC standout played under Williams and in March, donated $1 million to the program to endow a scholarship for the “Campaign for Carolina Athletics”.
“Oh man, he’s like a father figure to me,” Green said of Williams. “I became a man at school for four years. He taught me a lot not just about basketball, but about life. I’m happy for him. I hope that he’s at peace. He had a hell of a career.”
With the majority of future NBA talents in the 21st century forgoing their final one, two, or even three years of college, Green’s decision to stay at UNC for all four years was rare. Having Williams as a mentor could have very well influenced that decision.
“I congratulate him and he’s always been much more than a coach to me,” Green said. “He taught me how to be a man and do things the right way. The school knows what he means to me. He knows what he means to me.”
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Could Former Sixers Lottery Pick Replace Roy Williams at UNC?