“I’m trying every day to make sure that nobody's going to outwork me”: When UNC legend Roy Williams addressed his sleeping issues

Coaching legend Roy Williams opened up about the stress of coaching and how it affected his sleep. Following his retirement as North Carolina's head coach in 2021, Williams appeared on "In Depth" with Graham Bensinger to reflect on his career. In a clip from the 2021 episode shared on YouTube, Williams got candid about his sleeping issues.

"I'm trying every day to make sure that nobody's going to outwork me," Williams said. "I've always thought I could get by on less sleep than anybody in the world."

Williams offered an exact answer on just how little sleep he got.

"Three hours, something like that," Williams said. "Three or four. If I got five hours a night or something, I didn't know how to act."

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Williams admitted that after a difficult loss, he sometimes didn't sleep at all. His children appeared on the episode to give their insight on their father's stress and sleepless nights. Williams' daughter Kim said:

"He'll just either be thinking of what he did wrong previously or what he can do to make it better in the future, and so it's just his mind never turns off enough for him to just truly relax."

Coaching a top basketball program can be stressful, and Williams' experience highlights this. Now, the veteran head coach is finally able to relax as he enjoys retirement.

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Roy Williams' legendary coaching career

Roy Williams retired in 2021 after 33 seasons as a head basketball coach. He became a legend at both Kansas and North Carolina and finished his career as a Hall of Famer.

Williams began his head coaching career at Kansas in 1988. In 15 seasons with the Jayhawks, he led the team to 14 NCAA Tournament appearances, four Final Fours and the 2003 title game. He remains the third winningest coach in program history.

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Williams took over as head coach of his alma mater North Carolina in 2003 and remained with the program until his retirement in 2021. He led UNC to three national titles in 2005, 2009 and 2017. He developed 22 NBA first-round picks in his 18 years with the Tar Heels and was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007.

The coaching legend in third all time in wins by a Division I coach with 903. Williams is the only coach with 400 wins at two schools and was the consensus National Coach of the Decade from 2000-09. He was also named National Coach of the Year by USA Today in 2019 and AP Coach of the Year in 1992 and 2006.

About the author

Lindsey Ware is a college sports journalist at Sportskeeda with over five years of experience working with publications such as The News & Observer, The Daily Tar Heel, Triangle Tribune and Cardiac Cane. She has also worked for Major League Baseball, The Holly Springs Salamanders, The Tri-City Chili Peppers, Tuffy Talk, Super Meteors Basketball, Just Good Network and Living Sport.

Lindsey has a Bachelor’s Degree in Media and Journalism from UNC Chapel Hill. Her education allowed Lindsey to gain experience in sports communication, which she honed in internships. Other than being a storyteller and sports fanatic, Lindsey is also a social media and marketing specialist.

Her favorite college team is UNC, although she grew up a N.C. State fan as both of her parents are Wolfpack alumni. Michael Jordan was a huge deal in North Carolina when Lindsey was growing up, and after a summer spent at UNC’s Sports Journalism Camp back in high school, Lindsey was set on being a Tar Heel.

Lindsey's favorite college coach of all time is Roy Williams. During her time attending UNC Chapel Hill and writing for The Daily Tar Heel, Lindsey was lucky enough to meet and speak with Williams a few times. He was like a celebrity on UNC’s campus and was beloved for his coaching style and success with the Tar Heels, accumulating three NCAA championship titles in 18 years.

When not watching or writing about sports, Lindsey enjoys reading, trying new restaurants and coffee shops, and spending time with my friends, family and dog. She also likes to journal, watch movies and paint.

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Edited by Rajdeep Barman