Categories: News

North Carolina Coach Roy Williams Carried Off To Locker Room After Collapsing From Dizziness

North Carolina Tar Heels coach Roy Williams expressed his thankfulness to being alive and to his team for the way it responded to a vertigo attack that caused him to collapse around 14 minutes before the end of the first half of the game against Boston College. The Tar Heels secured a 68-65 road ACC win against the Boston College Eagles on Tuesday night, and Coach Williams was forced to watch most of the second half from the locker room.

Roy Williams Carried Off To Locker Room After Collapsing

The incident occurred during a huddle on the sideline, after Williams said he jerked his head suddenly while discussing a foul call with the referee. He then fell slowly onto the floor of Conte Forum in Chestnut Hill, Mass.

“I’m alive. I’m kicking,” Williams, 65, said afterward. “I’ve had some vertigo attacks over the last 17 or 18 years. This is the first time I really had one during a game. I said something to the referee. I didn’t respond correctly to his response. I kind of whirled around, and that’s when it hit.”

Williams stated that his condition, known as benign positional vertigo, is triggered by sudden head movements. He has had previous bouts with vertigo in the past and has felt dizzy when standing up too quickly.

Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter!

A week of sports news in your in-box.
We find the sports news you need to know, so you don't have to.

Assistant coach Steve Robinson assumed coaching duties for the Tar Heels for the remainder of the game. Williams received medication in the locker room and stayed there until after the game, when he went out to shake Eagles coach Jim Christian’s hand.

“I was very concerned because I didn’t want to be a distraction,” he told Christian, among others. “I’ll be fine. I’m not dead yet.”

“For him to come back out and congratulate our kids on their effort speaks volumes as to why he’s a Hall of Fame coach,” Christian said about Williams after expressing relief that the latter’s incident wasn’t serious. “He really wanted to congratulate them, and deservedly so. Anybody who saw this game today saw a lot of heart, a lot of character.”

North Carolina sophomore swingman Justin Jackson, who led the Tar Heels with 20 points, said part of the reason the team was able to stay focused and not panic after the incident was that it had seen Williams go through similar attacks.

“We know he’ll be back out there for us,” Jackson said. “He’s our leader. We’ll rely on him and know he’ll be back out there. We’ve seen it before, not in a game, but we’ve seen it before, and he’s been fine after a little bit.”

North Carolina is now 20-4 this season, while Boston College is 7-17.

Pablo Mena

Writer and assistant editor for usports.org. NY Giants and Rangers fan. Film and TV enthusiast (especially Harry Potter and The Office) and lover of foreign languages and cultures.

Recent Posts

Diontae Johnson Excited To Move From Panthers To Ravens, Could Help In Playoff Push

Wide receiver Diontae Johnson is reportedly settling in well with the Baltimore Ravens after the…

20 hours ago

What Happened To Aaron Judge? After Yankees Fall Short In World Series, Fans Are Asking Questions

Aaron Judge seemed to flip the script on his disastrous World Series and postseason with…

20 hours ago

As The Yankees Collapse In World Series, Free Agency Battle For Juan Soto Begins

The New York Yankees' 2024 season came to a screeching halt Wednesday night when the…

2 days ago

Dodgers Win World Series In Game 5, Yankees Blow Five-Run Lead In Disastrous Finale

The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees 7-6 in Game 5 to win…

2 days ago

Brad Pitt Makes Surprise Appearance At Mexican Grand Prix To Shoot His Movie, ‘F1’

https://youtu.be/Y69VZZt9rt4 Brad Pitt made a surprise appearance at the Mexican Grand Prix’s practice round on Oct. 26.…

3 days ago

76er’s Joel Embiid Stays In NBA News Even While Not Playing

Joel Embiid’s name came up twice in NBA news this week as he continues to…

4 days ago