Former Kansas Coach Roy Williams Calls ’96-97 Squad ‘The Best Team I Ever Coached’

Roy Williams led a lot of incredible teams during his time in college basketball. He coached dozens of All-Americans and future NBA players while at Kansas and North Carolina – and led the Tar Heels to three national championships.

But despite the incredible success Williams had during his time as head coach in Chapel Hill, it was one of his Kansas teams that he views as the most talented team he ever coached.

In a recent ESPN documentary on former Jayhawk Scot Pollard and his journey to receive a life-saving heart transplant in February 2024, Williams was featured to talk about recruiting Pollard out of high school and coaching him at KU.

Williams lauded Pollard for being a great fit for him as a coach and knowing his strengths as a player before talking about his feelings towards the 1996-97 Kansas team as a whole.

"We won three national championships at North Carolina, but the '97 Kansas team was the best team I ever coached,” Williams said.

In the new E60 documentary that released today on former #KUball star Scot Pollard, former KU head coach Roy Williams said:

"We won 3 national championships at North Carolina, but the '97 Kansas team was the best team I ever coached." https://t.co/3Jmz60RQ46 pic.twitter.com/64AZgOl5OY
— Dillon Davis (@dillondavis3) June 16, 2025

While that may seem crazy to some – considering that KU team did not win a national title and he coached three teams that did – the sentiment is not without warrant.

The ’96-97 team is not only one of the most beloved teams in Kansas basketball history, it’s also considered one of the best in college basketball history as well.

The team featured a bevy of stars, including Jacque Vaughn (First Team All-Big 12), Paul Pierce (First Team All-Big 12 and Big 12 Tournament MVP), and Raef LaFrentz (Big 12 Player of the Year). All three were instrumental in KU’s success that year and would later have their jerseys enshrined forever in the Allen Fieldhouse rafters.

Pollard was a key member of that team as well, along with his fellow tough-nosed senior Jerod Haase, the sharp-shooting Billy Thomas, and budding sophomore Ryan Robertson.

With the exception of Haase – who later became an assistant under Williams – all of the aforementioned former Jayhawks would go on to play in the NBA.

Although the team’s season ended in heartbreak in a Sweet 16 loss to Arizona that year, the Jayhawks still accomplished what was nearly a dream season.

In what was the inaugural Big 12 season, KU started off the season 22-0, which ended up being one of the best starts in program history. The Jayhawks would go on to win both the regular season Big 12 championship and Big 12 Tournament championship that year.

They entered the NCAA Tournament as the No. 1 overall seed and finished ranked No. 1 in the final Associated Press Poll that season (back when polls closed prior to the NCAA Tournament). The team finished the season with a remarkable record of 34-2 (15-1 in Big 12 play).

Considering all the great players and teams Williams coached over the years, the praise he recently gave the 1996-97 Kansas team should tell you just how special that group was. And although they didn’t reach their ultimate goal, it’s a team that will always be remembered fondly by fans, players, and coaches alike.