
Former UNC men’s basketball head coach Roy Williams was named as one of six winners of the North Carolina Award earlier this week. Governor Josh Stein will present the award to Williams and the other five honorees Thursday, November 13 at the historic Grove Park Inn in Asheville. The ceremony is normally held in Raleigh, but it has been moved to Asheville this year to honor western North Carolina in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
“Over the past six decades, the North Carolina Award has been given to many remarkable North Carolinians,” Stein said. “I am pleased to note that our 2025 recipients all either hail from or have made a particular impact in western North Carolina, and I look forward to honoring them in the mountains we all love.”
Williams, who grew up in Asheville, coached the Tar Heels from 2003 to 2021 and won three national championships. He was also an assistant to head coach Dean Smith when UNC won the title in 1982. Williams’ 903 total wins between his tenures at UNC and Kansas are the third-most by a Division 1 head coach, and his .774 winning percentage is the sixth-highest ever. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007.
Williams has been honored by the state before. In 2024, Governor Roy Cooper awarded Williams the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, given to North Carolinians who have “made significant contributions to the state and their communities through their exemplary service and exceptional accomplishments.” It is the highest honor bestowed by the governor’s office.
Other 2025 recipients of the North Carolina award include musician Woody Platt (fine arts), author Wiley Cash (literature) and climatologist Kathie Dello (science).
Featured image via Todd Melet
Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.
Related Stories
‹

On This Day: Roy Williams Announces Retirement from Coaching UNCThe Carolina basketball community changed forever one year ago. In Chapel Hill, on the morning of April 1, 2021, the men’s basketball program shared the news: Hall of Famer and long-time head coach Roy Williams was stepping away from the game. After the community’s immediate reactions and questioning of an April Fools’ prank died down, […]

Art's Angle: The 'Real' RoyI am the right man for the job. I thought I was the right man for 15 years at Kansas, and thought I was the right man at North Carolina. I would never say I’m the best man for the job, because I never thought I was better than anyone else.” […]

UNC AD Cunningham Details Hiring Process to Fill 'Best Job in College Basketball'UNC Athletics Director Bubba Cunningham did not mince words when sharing his thoughts on the opening at head coach for the UNC men’s basketball program. “Right now, I believe we’ve got the best job in college basketball,” said Cunningham Thursday night to open his press conference. “This job doesn’t become open very often and we […]

'I Feel Like I'm the Luckiest Man': Roy Williams Shares Emotional Retirement DecisionFollowing his surprise retirement announcement on Thursday, legendary UNC men’s basketball head coach Roy Williams addressed the media from midcourt at the Dean Smith Center — on a floor that bears his name — to explain what went into his decision. After a Hall-of-Fame career which included 903 career wins at the NCAA […]

Chansky's Notebook: 'Super' SethAs UNC's one returning starter and captain of the 2025-26 team, Seth Trimble is helping integrate nine new players into the system.

Chansky's Notebook: The New BigUNC's brand landed Arizona's Henri Veesaar out of the transfer portal, with a little help from a former Tar Heel star.

Full 2025-26 ACC Schedule Announced for UNC Men's BasketballCarolina now knows its full 2025-26 season schedule, as the ACC announced the full slate of conference games Tuesday afternoon. Conference schedule is set 🗓️ 🔗 https://t.co/LOJXx1ELdQ pic.twitter.com/ZJ3mNlvJRU — Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) September 9, 2025 The conference schedule begins either December 30 or 31, when UNC hosts Florida State at the Dean Smith Center. […]

Chansky's Notebook: Who Are These Guys?NC State and UNC are like ships in the night when it comes to ESPN's preseason men's college basketball rankings.

READ: Hubert Davis Talks Pressure at UNC, Caleb Wilson, Luka Bogavac and MoreUNC men’s basketball head coach Hubert Davis met with the media for the first time since the end of the 2024-25 season Tuesday at the Dean Smith Center. Davis discussed multiple topics, including pressure to win this season and star freshman Caleb Wilson. Read some of Davis’ answers below, which have been lightly edited for […]

Roy Williams to Receive North Carolina Award for Public ServiceFormer UNC men’s basketball head coach Roy Williams was named as one of six winners of the North Carolina Award earlier this week. Governor Josh Stein will present the award to Williams and the other five honorees Thursday, November 13 at the historic Grove Park Inn in Asheville. The ceremony is normally held in Raleigh, […]
›