North Carolina

Tar Heels to name playing floor in coach Roy Williams' honor

FILE - In this Jan. 26, 2017, file photo, North Carolina head coach Roy Williams smiles during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Virginia Tech, in Chapel Hill, N.C. North Carolina is honoring Hall of Fame men’s basketball coach Roy Williams by putting his name on the playing floor. UNC announced Thursday, Aug. 2, 2018, it will dedicate “Roy Williams Court” at a program reunion Aug. 24. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome, File)

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) - North Carolina is honoring Hall of Fame basketball coach Roy Williams by putting his name on the playing floor.

UNC announced Thursday that it will dedicate "Roy Williams Court" on Aug. 24. Williams has 842 career victories as head coach at Kansas and UNC, including three NCAA championships in 15 seasons with the Tar Heels. He was also an assistant under late Hall of Fame coach Dean Smith at UNC for 10 seasons.

Athletics director Bubba Cunningham says Williams "didn't want this honor, but his players and our staff wanted it for him."

Williams says it's "overwhelming" to be honored in the Smith Center arena named after his mentor. Williams says: "It's going to be hard to think of my name on the floor in his building."

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