Doherty Finally Shakes that Black Sheep Feeling
Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2009 9:56 am
DALLAS - Dozens of memories from Matt Doherty's days at North Carolina hang prominently in his office at the Crum Basketball Center - everything from his framed No. 44 jersey, to a note from Dean Smith, to his first box score as the Tar Heels' coach.
Six years after being forced to resign from his alma mater, the starter on North Carolina's 1982 national championship team says seeing the artwork is finally more sweet than bitter.
"I felt a little dirty for a little while; I'd see this former (Tar Heels) player, and think, 'Will he shake my hand? How does he really feel about me?'" said Doherty, in his fourth season at Southern Methodist.
"But now, I don't feel like a black sheep anymore."
His tip-toe back into the Carolina basketball family, he says, stems from a long-overdue heart-to-heart last September with Roy Williams - an assistant coach when Doherty was a player in 1980-84, a mentor when Doherty served as his assistant coach at Kansas in 1992-99, and the man who ultimately replaced him in Chapel Hill when Doherty was given the boot with three years left on his contract.
Williams said Doherty has always been a talented coach and Tar Heel in his eyes. After all, he won 117 games playing alongside the likes of Michael Jordan, James Worthy and Sam Perkins; then went 53-43 as North Carolina's coach before player complaints, two straight failures to make the NCAA tournament, and questions about his aggressive coaching style led to his resignation.
Doherty said he's wanted to return to the family fold for years, but before he could fully do so, he requested something.
"There needed to be a conversation. ... Why did this person do this? Why did they say that? What was the timing of this, or did this conversation take place?" he said last week. "We all need to learn how to forgive, and I was struggling with that. I wanted to forgive, but I think in order to forgive, there had to be a conversation first, so I could let go of that."
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Six years after being forced to resign from his alma mater, the starter on North Carolina's 1982 national championship team says seeing the artwork is finally more sweet than bitter.
"I felt a little dirty for a little while; I'd see this former (Tar Heels) player, and think, 'Will he shake my hand? How does he really feel about me?'" said Doherty, in his fourth season at Southern Methodist.
"But now, I don't feel like a black sheep anymore."
His tip-toe back into the Carolina basketball family, he says, stems from a long-overdue heart-to-heart last September with Roy Williams - an assistant coach when Doherty was a player in 1980-84, a mentor when Doherty served as his assistant coach at Kansas in 1992-99, and the man who ultimately replaced him in Chapel Hill when Doherty was given the boot with three years left on his contract.
Williams said Doherty has always been a talented coach and Tar Heel in his eyes. After all, he won 117 games playing alongside the likes of Michael Jordan, James Worthy and Sam Perkins; then went 53-43 as North Carolina's coach before player complaints, two straight failures to make the NCAA tournament, and questions about his aggressive coaching style led to his resignation.
Doherty said he's wanted to return to the family fold for years, but before he could fully do so, he requested something.
"There needed to be a conversation. ... Why did this person do this? Why did they say that? What was the timing of this, or did this conversation take place?" he said last week. "We all need to learn how to forgive, and I was struggling with that. I wanted to forgive, but I think in order to forgive, there had to be a conversation first, so I could let go of that."
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/colleg ... _Container