Roy Williams Supports Mike Krzyzewski on Controversial COVID Comments

UNC coach says he usually agrees with Coach K

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski became the center of a social media storm when he called for the NCAA to reassess whether college basketball games should be going on as COIVD-19 cases are on the increase.

Alabama coach Nate Oats criticized Coach K, implying that Krzyzewski was calling for the sport to shut down because Duke lost two games.

UNC coach Roy Williams was asked about the brouhaha and weighed in.

“I’m not on social med,” he said. “If you call me, and I know you called me, I can call you back. You text me, I’ll text you back. So I’ve seen some of that. I have not seen all of Michael’s comments. The comments that I saw, it made sense.”

Williams said there were three specific points he heard Krzyzewski make, and he agreed with each of them.

“It’s a strange time now,” he said. “It’s the most unusual time that I’ve ever seen. The thing is saw or somebody told me, he said it was strange times. I agree times. We’re not used to (it). I agree. We should probably take a different look at it now than we did in July or maybe it was June. I don’t’ know if he even gave a time—some months ago. So I think there is validity to that. I have no problem with that whatsoever.”

“If he said, ‘Roy Williams is ugly,’ I might have something to say about that,” he continued. “I’d probably agree. So I don’t know what he said. Those three things are what I heard, and I agree with that.”

Williams then began poking fun at the concern over what Duke’s coach was saying because of the rivalry between the two schools.

“I guarantee that Michael doesn’t go to bed at night, and the last thing he does before he goes to bed is read what Roy Williams’ comments were,” he said. “I have a tremendous amount of faith in Michael. It surprises the heck out of people—we’ve been on committees together for so many years, and I would bet 95 percent of times, we agree when we're on a committee making decisions or suggestions or whatever they were. We agree on a tremendously high percentage of things. Somebody said some other coach said something. I don’t know what that was. I do know Michael has great concern and interest in what college basketball is and where college basketball is going. And the other thing is Michael Krzyzewski has the right to his own opinion. He doesn’t need to get that from Roy Williams.”

Williams then reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.

“Let me check my phone and see if he called me and asked me about what the hell he wanted to say,” he said. “I don’t see any calls from him. Mike doesn’t watch what I say every day, either. Those three things, I have no problem with whatsoever.”