Former North Carolina basketball coach Bill Guthridge dies at 77

Bill Guthridge, who was an assistant to North Carolina men’s basketball coach Dean Smith from 1967 to 1997 and was head coach from 1998 to 2000, died Tuesday night at the age of 77.

“Bill Guthridge was a gentlemen coach, but a fierce competitor, and an incredibly loyal member of Dean Smith’s staff for three decades,” North Carolina Athletic Director Bubba Cunningham said in a news release. “When it was his turn as head coach, he immediately won an ACC championship and took two teams to the Final Four. I learned very quickly when I came to Chapel Hill how beloved and respected he was by people all across this community. His loss is deeply felt by our university and the basketball world. Our condolences go out to his family and friends.”

In his three seasons as head coach, Guthridge led the Tar Heels to two Final Four appearances (1998, 2000). He retired in 2000.