It’s no secret that the University of North Carolina loves its men’s basketball. Fans from all over the state packing into the Dean Dome. Students anxiously refreshing their computers in hopes of winning tickets from the lottery system. Everyone storming Franklin Street after victory over in-state rival Duke.
Basketball is ingrained into its culture.
However, on the day that sparked some of the most excitement all year, Roy Williams said something that many would consider surprising given the event.
At this year's Late Night with Roy event, in the midst of all the elaborate player intros, complex dance routines and casual scrimmages, there was a tribute to the school’s legendary women’s soccer coach, Anson Dorrance. In a touching speech commending Dorrance’s impact, Williams called the University a women's soccer school. The casual UNC fan probably shrugged the comment off, thinking it was just Williams trying to be nice to his longtime friend.
But he’s right. Dean Smith said the same thing back in 1997.
Not enough people really understand how dominant Dorrance’s tenure has been. With him at the helm, UNC has won 21 of 38 total national championships, including a span where it won nine in a row from 1986 to 1994.
I am not great at math, but that's a lot more than the six titles men's basketball has.
I know that the state of women’s soccer has become increasingly more competitive since the time that Dorrance won most of the titles. I am also aware that there's historically more parity among men’s basketball teams. However, you cannot deny that this run is impressive.
Some people may counter, saying that UNC basketball has produced possibly the best athlete to ever exist in Michael Jordan.
