The third time is the charm, or so they say. For Roy Williams, though, it was the sixth time. Six tries is what it took for Williams to pass his mentor, former UNC head coach Dean Smith, after securing his 879th win nearly a month ago.
After a 70-67 victory over Yale on December 30, the struggling Tar Heels lost five consecutive games — all to Atlantic Coast Conference opponents. Williams, of course, couldn’t care less about one-upping Smith. In fact, it’s something that Williams would rather not talk about. But after a streak that saw the Tar Heels lose to Georgia Tech, Pittsburgh (twice), Clemson and Virginia Tech, a win of any sort is a welcomed sight for Williams, his team and the Carolina faithful.