Roy Williams was born in Marion General Hospital in the little town of Marion, North Carolina, just under an hour away from Asheville. If anyone driving near that hospital ever doubted that, they have no reason to do so now.
Dan Wiederer of the Fayetteville Observer wrote on his blog yesterday that on Monday Williams was honored with a highway marker — you know, those brown sign-plaques that stand in front of important places that give you a small bit of history about the location — a block south of the building in which Williams was born. The sign mentions that he’s a “National Championship Winning College Basketball Coach” for UNC and that he was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame. And, naturally, it’s Carolina blue.
But will it stay that way? As Wiederer mentions in his article (which you should check out in its entirety), Williams had a few words prepared for the folks who were on hand to mark the occasion. In his comments, the legendary coach mentioned that the people of the town needed to keep a close eye on the sign, adding, “If you ever come in one morning and there’s eggs and some things like that on it, just go arrest the dadgum Duke people in town.”
He was joking, of course. Then again, maybe it was one of those jokes that, after you make it, you dont mind so much if people take seriously. Either way…congrats, coach. Looks pretty sweet.