Roy Williams: No Special Treatment for Tar Heel Staff in COVID Vaccinations

Coach, his wife and two staff members received their first vaccines

Coach Roy Williams and his wife Wanda have both taken their first COVID-19 vaccine shot.

“Most of my guys, most of my staff members do want to take it," Williams said. "Everyone that has an opportunity to take the vaccination, I think they should. I had mine (Thursday) morning. I'm 70 years old. Last week, they put the limit down the number down to 65. I made calls and calls and Wanda got on the computer and the whole bit, and we finally got it scheduled and took the vaccine, or had the vaccination, I guess, is maybe the right way to say it. I'm hopeful that we can encourage a lot of people that have some doubts about whether or not they should take it because I’m really following the Dr. (Anthony) Fauci’s of the world and everybody that I listen that are specialists. That's the way I go.”

Two members of Roy Williams’ staff—Hubert Davis and Sean May—also reportedly got the vaccine when UNC hospitals had extra doses left over at the end of the day.

“I was at practice yesterday when it came up,” Williams said when asked about the possibility that the two former players—both under 65—got special treatment. “They said they had a chance to go get it and I said, ‘Go get it.’ And I turned my attention back to Garrison (Brooks) and Caleb (Love) and R.J. (Davis). I know that when Roy Williams and Wanda got it… we're over 65 by five years, so we are in a category that can get it. So we got it. And we scheduled it. I didn't just go out in the middle of the highway with a sign and say, ‘Can I get a vaccine?’ We went through the proper procedures. Everybody's going to make what they want of every situation. Like I say, guys, I'm in the middle of practice. What am I supposed to say? No, don't go do that. I told them to go on.” 

The vaccine has a limited time when it is effective, so hospitals often offer leftover doses to nearby individuals at the end of the day, rather than risking having to dispose of them. A university spokesperson said that the athletics department was called because of its proximity to the hospital.