CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Roy Williams is making North Carolina wait -- again.

North Carolina contacted Kansas on Wednesday about speaking with Williams, but UNC athletic director Dick Baddour issued a statement Thursday saying the two parties would speak through the weekend.

"Coach Williams and I feel the timing is too near the end of the Final Four and there is too much going on in Lawrence at this time for us to conclude our talks," Baddour said.

Kansas lost to Syracuse 81-78 in the championship game Monday night.

It was unclear whether Williams was leaning toward staying with the Jayhawks or returning to North Carolina, where he was an assistant under Smith for a decade.

Williams, who spoke with reporters briefly outside Allen Fieldhouse on Thursday, said he won't again speak with North Carolina officials until Sunday.

"How can I be torn if they haven't offered me the job yet?'' Williams said with a smile.

"There are so many other things going on right now,'' he said. "And again, it's less than 72 hours away from the national championship game, so why would I be in a hurry to run off somewhere?''

Baddour said Williams had not been offered the job and the school would pursue other candidates in the next few days.

It's unclear at this point who the other candidates are.

"He understands this," Baddour said.

"Typically, I do not comment on job searches," Baddour added. "However, this is obviously not a typical situation. Coach Williams and I both felt there was so much misinformation out there that an update to confirm our talks was both responsible and necessary."

The Tar Heels are looking for a replacement for Matt Doherty, who resigned April 1 with three years left on his contract.

"I have had several very good conversations with Roy Williams over the last two days," Baddour said. "Those talks will continue through the weekend.

"Coach Williams and I feel the timing is too near the end of the Final Four and there is too much going on in Lawrence at this time for us to conclude our talks."

On Wednesday, Kansas chancellor Robert Hemenway fired athletic director Al Bohl, whose relationship with Williams had been strained ever since Bohl was hired two years ago.

Bohl said that Williams orchestrated his dismissal, but Hemenway denied he fired Bohl to convince Williams to stay at Kansas. Hemenway added that Williams never indicated to him he wanted Bohl fired.

Following UNC's announcement, a spokesman for Kansas' athletic department said Williams would not comment about his job status or his plans to talk with North Carolina officials.

Williams still plans to leave Friday night for the Wooden Awards ceremony and festivities in Los Angeles, said Kansas sports information director Mitch Germann.

Williams will attend with Kansas senior Nick Collison, who is one of five finalists for college basketball's player of the year honor. Williams himself will receive an award -- the Legends of Coaching, which recognizes lifetime achievement in coaching.

Williams, 52, turned down the Tar Heels in 2000 when Bill Guthridge retired, saying he couldn't leave his players or the program he built into a national power.

He has won 418 games and been to four Final Fours in his 15 seasons there, but has never won the national title. Kansas lost to Syracuse 81-78 in the championship game Monday night.

Once Williams balked in 2000 after a week wait, Baddour settled on the inexperienced Doherty. That proved to be a mistake.

Doherty went 53-43, missed the NCAA Tournament two years in a row, and alienated some of his players and UNC athletic department staff before being ousted more than a week ago.

North Carolina players Will Johnson, Raymond Felton and Sean May were handed Baddour's statement as they headed to the basement of the Smith Center to lift weights.

"Hopefully, Dick Baddour can hire somebody for us and make the right decision for us," forward David Noel said Thursday. "This is setting us behind a little bit. Without a coach we don't have any chemistry, it's hard to come together."

Sources close to Williams told ESPN.com on Wednesday that he again is torn and hasn't made up his mind whether to remain with Kansas. Bohl's ouster might not factor in his decision; Williams either will go home to North Carolina or stay where he has enjoyed building a legacy after reaching back-to-back Final Fours and four in his 15 years as coach.

Sources within the Carolina program however, said they anticipate Williams taking the job if offered. They said Williams feels responsible for the present state of the program after he stayed at Kansas the first time.

Information from ESPN.com senior writer Andy Katz and The Associated Press was used in this report.