Roy Williams

This was a recent article in the News Observer in NC:

WILLIAMS' STICKER SHOCK: Williams said he does not regret wearing a Jayhawks sticker as he watched Kansas (which beat UNC in the national semifinals) win the national championship earlier this month. He coached at KU for 15 years before returning to his alma mater and said the negative reaction he got from Tar Heels fans "is the one thing that's hurt me the most in five years" as head coach at UNC.

He said he stayed in San Antonio after the Tar Heels lost because his son and daughter did not have flights out of town until the day after the title game. Eight of his former Kansas players also attended the championship, and one of their friends handed him the sticker as he walked into the stadium.

Remembering 1993, when he waved a Carolina blue pompom at the national title game after his Jayhawks lost to the Tar Heels in the national semifinals, he said he had no problems visibly supporting Kansas.

"I thought at that time that was the right thing to do, and I thought at this time, that was the right thing to do,'' he told several hundred Rams Club members.

- Just wanted to share this with my fellow Jayhawk fans.  I was at KU when Roy left, and although it was tough I have always wished him the best.  Wanted even the few Jayhawks that still have hard feelings to understand that regardless what colors Roy is wearing he will always be a class act. 

I never had negative feelings for Roy when he left for UNC.  He turned them down once and just was not able to do so again.   I rooted for Carolina and Roy when they took on an Illinois team compiled mainly of players recruited by Self. 

Roy is a man who wears his emotions on his sleeve and as admirable of a trait that is I think it has cost him in the eyes of some fans.   First it was the disdain he received from hurt Kansas fans when he left the school he loved to return home and now its disdain from some 'Heel fans that were spited by him supporting the Jayhawks as they played for the national title.     If he didn't care about his alma mater he would've never left KU and therefore avoided a lot of grief from Kansas fans and in turn if he didn't care about the 'Hawks he would've never shown his support for us vs Memphis and subsequently have to deal with many spurned UNC fans.

The programs of KU and UNC will forever be intertwined and Roy is a huge cog in that and gave a lot to both schools.... and both are the better for it.