Roy Williams has had vertigo before, but that didn’t make it any less concerning when it happened again on Saturday. But fortunately, he is OK.
The long-time North Carolina coach and had to be helped off the court to the locker room during the Tar Heel’s 81-79 victory over the Tigers on Saturday at Clemson. Williams was cheered on his way out and lifted his hand to acknowledge the applause.
Williams, who has had episodes with vertigo in the past, suffered this case when when he quickly turned after watching a 3-pointer by Coby White. It occurred with a minute left before halftime and the Tar Heels leading, 35-33. He fell in front of his team’s bench and was led into the locker room. He did not return for the final 20 minutes as assistant coach Steve Robinson took over for the rest of the game.
“I just wanted to let y’all know I’m alive,” Williams told reporters after the game. “I’m not going to croak on anybody. It’s vertigo.”
Robinson, the former Florida State coach who spent the past 16 seasons with🌺 the Tar Heels, said he took about 30 seconds before he told his players that Williams would be OK and it w💜as time to concentrate on basketball.
“If I waffle, what do you thing those guys are going to do?” Robinson said. “They’re going to fall apart.”
This isn’t the first case of vertigo — which causes a sense of whirling and a loss of balance — for the 68-year-old Williams. He was forced to leave during a win over Boston College three years ago.
Williams said he felt well enough to return to the sideline, but he didn’t want to ruin the mojo of the Tar Heels, who were leading at the time.
“It’s excruciating pain for a little while,” he said. “I started feeling a heck of a lot better, but he [Robinson] was up six or seven and I didn’t want to jinx it. If we had lost, I would have gone back out there with him. But I didn’t want to jinx him at that time, and yes, I’m a little superstitious. But I’m so proud of our team, and I’m so proud of this guy sitting beside me for 24 years.
“I told the boys about the movie ‘Hoosiers’ and how Gene Hackman tries to intentionally get thrown out. I’m only going to [do] this once every two or three years, but I don’t do it intentionally.”
The game portion of the night ended on a good note for North Carolina, which was led by Coby White’s 28 points and six 3-pointers. The Tar Heels (24-5) maintained a share of first place in the Atlantic Coast Conference, and are tied with No. 2 Virginia at 14-2 with a week left in the regular season.
— with AP