Bill Guthridge, Former North Carolina Basketball Coach, Dies at Age 77

Longtime North Carolina basketball coach Bill Guthridge died Tuesday night. He was 77.

Carolina Basketball confirmed the news on Twitter:

Guthridge was a player and then an assistant coach at Kansas State before joining the Tar Heels staff in 1967. He formed a successful partnership with Dean Smith that lasted three decades until Smith retired in 1997.

The Kansas native took over the role of head coach following Smith's departure. He led the program to a pair of Final Four appearances in three seasons at the helm before retiring following the 1999-2000 campaign.

Current coach Roy Williams referenced Smith's death, which occurred on Feb. 7 of this year, when commenting on Guthridge, via Andrew Carter of the Charlotte Observer:

Matt Doherty, who played at UNC while Guthridge was an assistant and then became the school's head coach after Guthridge retired, sent along his condolences:

Veteran sports reporter Peter Gammons had high praise for the former coach:

North Carolina made 10 trips to the Final Four and won two national championships during the time Smith and Guthridge spent together. The protege was named Naismith College Coach of the Year in his first season as Smith's replacement.

Although his individual achievements showcased his ability as a head coach, Guthridge always seemed content working with Smith to develop a top program at North Carolina. That's exactly what they did.