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| | Thursday, July 6 Williams: 'I am tired' | |||||
| ESPN.com news services LAWRENCE, Kan. -- On the eve of Roy Williams' self-imposed deadline to decide where he'll coach next season, Kansas called a late-night news conference Thursday -- and even made Jayhawks fans part of it. Williams has spent the last week agonizing on whether to remain at Kansas or succeed Bill Guthridge at North Carolina, his alma mater and where he served Dean Smith as an assistant for 10 years. Kansas athletic director Bob Frederick scheduled a news conference for 9 p.m. CT Thursday to discuss Williams' job status, and said either he or Williams -- or both -- would attend. A news release invited fans to watch the conference on a giant video board at the football stadium. North Carolina athletic director Dick Baddour called a news conference for 10:30 p.m. ET. There still was no indication, official or otherwise, that Williams had made a decision. Earlier in the day, a haggard Williams walked around the Kansas campus alone and said he would try to reach a decision later in the day. Williams met for about two hours with Frederick and Chancellor Robert Hemenway a day after flying back from the Carolinas. Kansas spokesman Mitch Germann told ESPN.com's Andy Katz that no decision has been made as of Thursday afternoon. Williams left the KU campus around 4 p.m. ET to go home and think about his situation. Engulfed by reporters as he tried to slip into a side door at Allen Fieldhouse, Williams appeared exhausted. "I am tired," he said. "I was just trying to sneak away from you guys to get some time to walk around on campus by myself. "I've just got to make a decision. I can't go on like this. And you guys can't go on like this. I apologize for putting you through this. I've just got to have what I think is the right feeling. I'm hoping we'll know something real soon." Williams, who said he has been agonizing about it for at least a week, said he hoped to decide later in the day, but added: "Don't hold me to that." Williams, who has been to the Final Four twice with Kansas but has not won a national title, had promised to make up his mind on or before Friday, which is the last day before the summer recruiting period begins. Hand-lettered signs posted on and around Allen Fieldhouse implored Williams to stay: "Roy, you are home," and "Roy, you belong at KU." Asked if the signs meant anything to him, Williams replied, "Yes, but the students at North Carolina have also been very kind." Williams returned from a vacation at his South Carolina beach home Wednesday night, denying reports he had accepted a multiyear contract to coach North Carolina, where he was an assistant to Dean Smith. "The last seven days have been the most difficult of my life, but I've got some really great, great options," Williams said as he arrived at the airport. Kansas desperately wants to keep Williams, who is torn between his ties to North Carolina and Smith, and the powerful basketball tradition of the Jayhawks and Allen Fieldhouse, where Wilt Chamberlain made an emotional return to see his jersey retired in 1998. "My stomach has been in knots since last Thursday night, but I've been through this before," said Frederick, who saw Larry Brown come and go after the Jayhawks won the national championship in 1988. "I think he's still struggling with a decision," Frederick said. "He indicated to the chancellor and me he wouldn't make a decision until we had a chance to talk." Williams left Saturday for his South Carolina vacation home, and met with North Carolina officials. Frederick said he disagrees with media reports that Williams has already agreed to accept a lucrative deal to replace Bill Guthridge, who resigned as North Carolina coach last week. "I don't feel that. But I realize obviously the North Carolina media feel very strongly about that," Frederick said. "It's clear they think the decision's already been made." A North Carolina native, Williams coached under Smith from 1978-88. At Smith's suggestion, Frederick hired Williams in 1988, and the result has been almost unmatched success, including two Final Four appearances and seven conference championships. With a 329-82 record, Williams has won more games in his first 12 seasons than any other coach in NCAA history. "He has loyalty to North Carolina as a result of his 10 years of coaching there," Frederick said. "He has loyalty to the University of Kansas, and to his players. He's struggling between those two loyalties." Williams' players, who have been promised they would learn his decision ahead of everyone else, were getting impatient. "I have no gut feeling either way," sophomore forward Nick Collison said. "I have no idea when we'll hear. Coach is honest. He'll tell us first. But I really don't even want to think about it." Collison, Drew Gooden and Kirk Hinrich are part of Williams' last recruiting class that was considered one of the best in the nation and will form the nucleus of this year's team. | ALSO SEE After three years, two Final Fours, Guthridge retires With Guthridge retiring, UNC quickly tabs Williams Weekly Word: Keep what you have | |||||