Former North Carolina guard Shammond Williams was hired as an assistant coach at Furman, the school announced Wednesday.
A second-round pick of the Chicago Bulls in 1998, Williams played in the NBA and overseas until 2011. He came back to Chapel Hill after his retirement and spent a lot of time as a mentor to North Carolina’s basketball players.
Williams told ESPN.com earlier this year that his relationship with the UNC program helped him get ready for his debut as a coach.
“Coach (Roy) Williams lets me watch practice, and I have a lot of dialogue with Coach (Steve) Robinson, Coach (Joe) Holladay, C.B. (McGrath), Jerod (Haase),” he said.
“We throw a lot of things off each other, just talk basketball. I’m blessed to be able to speak with these gentlemen on a daily basis, to ask questions, to get the opinions of guys who have so much insight.”
Williams played on the talented Tar Heels teams alongside Antawn Jamison and Vince Carter and now will be able to use those experiences – as well as his years in pro basketball – as teaching tools. Shammond Williams profile
