North Carolina has announced that long time Roy Williams assistant coach Joe Holladay will retire.
Joe Holladay, one of college basketball's most widely respected coaches, is retiring after 20 years and 594 wins as a member of Roy Williams' staffs at the University of North Carolina and University of Kansas. Holladay recently finished his fourth season as Director of Basketball Operations after a 16-year stint as assistant coach. Former Vanderbilt assistant coach Brad Frederick, who played for the Tar Heels from 1996-99, is Carolina's new Director of Basketball Operations.
Holladay, 65, came to Chapel Hill in April 2003 and was part of the Tar Heel staff for 10 seasons, during which time UNC won two NCAA championships, played in three Final Fours, won six Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season championships and two ACC Tournament titles. The Tar Heels amassed an overall record of 282-78 over the last 10 years, finishing in the Top 10 in the final AP poll seven times.
"I am ecstatic for Joe and know that I have been extremely fortunate to have him as part of our staff for these 20 years," says Williams. "He is one of the best coaches and finest human beings I have ever been around. He was a security blanket for me in good times and bad. I knew I could always count on seeing his smile no matter the situation. It will be a huge challenge for us to replace all that Joe did for our program and the University. Kansas, UNC and all the players and coaches at both universities are so fortunate that he was part of their lives for so long. I will miss him tremendously both professionally and personally, although I know he is looking forward to watching the Tar Heels for many years to come."
A couple of weeks back, Inside Carolina reported that former Tar Heel player Brad Frederick had been added to the UNC staff. The director of basketball operations position had been posted on UNC's jobs web site fueling speculation that Holladay might be stepping down. UNC confirmed the news today.
It will be interesting to watch how much the loss of Holladay is felt. He has been a fixture on Williams' staff for twenty years and credited with the development of the interior players. His coaching contributions to UNC are most notable especially given his time in Chapel Hill included the careers of Sean May, Tyler Hansbrough and Tyler Zeller. At the same time, his move from active assistant coach to basketball operations happened a few seasons ago meaning he had already transitioned off the recruiting trail.
Frederick has most recently served on Kevin Stallings staff at Vanderbilt and is the son of former Kansas AD Bob Frederick.