Doherty Named North Carolina Coach

C H A P E L   H I L L, N.C., July 11 -- Matt Doherty received a telephone call early Tuesday morning. On the other end was Michael Jordan, telling his former North Carolina teammate and friend to follow his heart.

Doherty, a starter on North Carolina’s 1982 NCAA nationalchampionship team, took Jordan’s advice later in the day, leavingNotre Dame after one season to become coach of one of the morestoried college programs in the country.

“Michael said you have to do what is best for your family. Thenat the end of the conversation, he said, ‘Who knows, if it doesn’twork out with you maybe they will have to go outside the [Carolina]family,’” Doherty said, ending a 12-day search for BillGuthridge’s replacement. “Right then, I made my mind up. I wantedto be the head basketball coach at the University of NorthCarolina.”

Doherty said he first talked with North Carolina athleticdirector Dick Baddour late Thursday night, taking a cell phone callin a Wal-Mart aisle. He interviewed over the weekend on the UNCcampus, and accepted the post at 1 p.m. Tuesday.

‘Numbing Experience’

“It’s a numbing experience,” Doherty said. “Kind of surreal.You dream it and wonder if you’re going to wake up.”

Doherty, 38, was scheduled to sign a six-year contract at$350,000 a season, Baddour said, adding that additional money wouldbe coming from a deal with Nike.

Doherty had four years remaining on a five-year deal at NotreDame, but Baddour said there was no buyout.

Doherty became the leading candidate after last week’s decisionby Kansas coach Roy Williams not to take the job at his alma mater,according to James Moeser, incoming Carolina chancellor.

Milwaukee Bucks coach George Karl and Philadelphia 76ers coachLarry Brown, who both played for UNC under Dean Smith, took theirnames out of the running Monday.

Assistant to Williams

Doherty, an assistant to Williams for seven years, led theFighting Irish to a 22-15 record and a second-place finish in theNIT in his only season there.