North Carolina coach Roy Williams says he is doing well after collapsing Saturday on the sideline in the first half of the Tar Heels' tilt against Clemson.
"I'm not going to croak on anybody. It's vertigo," Williams said. "I jerked around to try to get Seventh (Woods) in for Kenny (Williams), because Kenny was struggling shooting the ball and we were making him work so hard on Marcquise Reed. I wanted to just give him a break, and went down. It's excruciating pain for a little while. I started feeling a heck of a lot better, but we was up six or seven and I didn't want to jinx it.
"If we had lost, I would have gone out there with them," he added. "I didn't want to jinx him at that time and yes, I'm a little superstitious."
Williams went to one knee with 55 seconds remaining, and with UNC up 35-33. The training staff tended to Williams, who has experienced bouts of vertigo over the years, before helping him off the court. He says he could have returned to the sideline.
Roy Williams collapses on the North Carolina sideline. Hope he’s okay. pic.twitter.com/68vjs1X4Ry
— CBB Talk (@CBBSuperFan) March 2, 2019
Williams also collapsed during a game in 2016.
Vertigo is an inner ear condition that can impact balance. Williams has dealt with it off and on since 2007. After collapsing early in the game, he did not return. Assistant coach Steve Robinson coached the remainder of the the game for North Carolina.
Even without Williams, UNC managed to maintain its first half momentum for much of the game, holding on for an 81-79 road win to improve to 14-2, tied for No. 1 in the ACC standings with Virginia.
