UNC head coach Sylvia Hatchell resigns after 33 years

• Sylvia Hatchell’s coaching accomplishments

In the wake of an internal investigation into the North Carolina women’s basketball program, head coach Sylvia Hatchell who led the team for 33 years resigned. UNC Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham made the announcement.

The university placed the Hatchell and three assistants (Andrew Calder, Sylvia Crawley and Bett Shelby) on paid administrative leave in early April amid a review into concerns aired by players. Initially, the specifics of the concerns were not made public.

Hatchell, who entered the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013, has a long list of accomplishments as a coach including a national championship in 1994. Under her leadership, the team made it to the NCAA tournament 23 times. However, in recent times, the program endured a wave of transfers, six over a five-year period, with more expected to leave the current roster.

The following is the full release by the school along with Hatchell’s statement.

“The University commissioned a review of our women’s basketball program, which found issues that led us to conclude that the program needed to be taken in a new direction. It is in the best interests of our University and student-athletes for us to do so,” says Cunningham. “Coach Hatchell agrees, and she offered her resignation today. I accepted it. We appreciate her 33 years of service to Carolina and to the community, and we wish her the best. Our focus now is on conducting a search for a new head coach who will build on our great Carolina traditions and promote a culture of excellence.”

This decision comes after Charlotte-based firm Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein reviewed the culture of the women’s basketball program and experience of women’s basketball student-athletes. The review was commissioned by the University and Department of Athletics on April 1 based on information received from student-athletes and others.

The firm conducted a review that included 28 interviews of current players and personnel connected to the UNC women’s basketball program and found widespread support for three overarching themes:

1. Hatchell made comments that were racially insensitive, and when confronted by players and staff did not respond in a timely or appropriate manner. The review concluded that Hatchell is not viewed as a racist, but her comments and subsequent response caused many in the program to believe she lacked awareness and appreciation for the effect her remarks had on those who heard them.

2. Players and medical staff expressed frustration with perceived and undue influence from Hatchell regarding medical issues and pressure to play. Despite Hatchell’s questioning of player care, status and readiness, the medical staff did not surrender to pressure to clear players before they were medically ready.

3. There has been a breakdown of connectivity between the players and Hatchell.

Carolina is committed to the well-being of our student-athletes and to ensuring that they have the best experience possible in and outside of competition.

STATEMENT FROM SYLVIA HATCHELL:

“It has been the great honor and privilege of my life to coach at the University of North Carolina. I want to thank John Swofford for giving me my dream job 33 years ago. The University will always hold a special place in my heart.

The game of basketball has given me so much, but now it is time for me to step away. This is an idea I have been contemplating since my cure from leukemia. This year, after defeating Notre Dame, the top-ranked team in the country, and returning to the NCAA Tournament, our program is once again headed in the right direction and ready for new leadership.

Wonderful UNC memories remain — none more special than our 1994 national championship, three Elite 8s and nine ACC championships. I’ve been fortunate to coach more than 200 young women, and it has been a joy to see them grow into successful teachers, doctors, lawyers, mothers, high school and college basketball coaches, and WNBA players. The opportunity to play a small role in their success is the greatest joy of coaching– and of my life.

I owe an enormous debt of gratitude to my assistant coaches and staff for their loyalty and support. They are remarkably talented and accomplished individuals who helped pave the way for our success as a nationally-acclaimed program. The championships we won would not have been possible without their contributions.

Now, I will turn my attention to supporting the University in different ways. I will continue to raise money for the Lineberger Cancer Center, to establish a ministry of exercise and recovery for cancer patients and to push for equal facilities and treatment for women’s athletics. I currently have a proposal pending before the NCAA Gender-Equity Task Force to increase the number of former female basketball players in coaching.

I will forever love the University of North Carolina. I am Sylvia Hatchell, and I am a Tar Heel.”

Hatchell’s Accolades

• Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, 2013
• Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, 2004
• National Coach of the Year: 1994, 2006, 2008
• ACC Coach of the Year: 1997, 2006, 2008

Career Record: 1,023-405 (44 seasons)
Record at UNC: 751-325 (33 seasons)

At North Carolina
NCAA Championship: 1994
NCAA Final Four Appearances: 1994, 2006, 2007
NCAA Appearances: 23 (most recent, 2019)
ACC Tournament Championships: 8 (most recent, 2008)

At Francis Marion
AIAW Championship: 1982
NAIA Championship: 1986