This letter was wrote from the insides of Carolina Basketball

Someone from the athletic dept. decided to release his witnesses and stories as to what was going on the past few years within the North Carolina basketball organization. I know its a tad long, but its very interesting. Makes you think what could have been...

Subject: FW: From a Carolina Team Manager

I've been privy to a lot of information over the past few seasons, some of which I have shared before, but most of which I have kept to myself. Now that the situation has mercifully been resolved, it is time to come clean. Obviously, this won't contain every detail, but provides more than enough evidence to appreciate the whole story. Think back to long before we ever knew of the problems we were about to face, specifically Sunday, February 18, at Littlejohn Coliseum in Clemson, SC. The Heels were ranked #1 in the country, but losing at half-time to the lowly Clemson Tigers. This is where the downward spiral of the last three years began.

A lot of people have heard the rumors about Joseph Forte's "@#%$ you, Doherty, I'm taking my @#%$ game to the league" comment, after a vicious tongue-lashing from his head coach. What they don't know is that even Forte's teammates knew that their coach was out of line. Brendan Haywood's response was "You need to chill, Coach." Jason Capel, largely thought to
be feuding with Forte at the time, defended his teammate with "What did he do?" Doherty's response? "Let me @#%$ coach you, just get out there and play the God @#%$ game." The problem was, though, that he was doing more cussing, and less coaching. This began the cycle of berating players almost ceaselessly until his resignation on April 1.

From there, the end of an 18 game winning streak, UNC went 5-5, including 2 embarrassing losses to Duke, and bowed out in the second round of the NCAA tournament to Penn State. That off-season brought Forte leaving for the NBA, followed by the worst season in Carolina history, during which many fans turned on Jason Capel because of his perceived attitude problems. It seemed so simple then, but Capel was fighting an uphill battle against his tyrannical coach.

After the first horrible loss to Duke, Capel couldn't take it anymore. "Coach, you need to get your head out of your @#%$ and try to help us," he begged, having exhausted all other means of helping his team as a senior leader. Doherty's response was not exactly what the team needed. "Jason, you're un-athletic, slow, your brother sucked, and your dad isn't that good of a coach. Don't @#%$ tell me what to do. I'm the God @#%$ coach of this team and if you want to leave and be a loser like your dad and brother, then go ahead!"

After Adam Boone, Brian Morrison, and Neil Fingleton had already left the team to transfer, the story broke about Jawad Williams, Jackie Manuel, and Melvin Scott considering following out the door. The three then-freshmen had to be convinced not to transfer by members of the basketball program (not including their head coach) at the 11th hour, when each of them was
prepared to make their decision to leave public.

As part of the agreement to return, Doherty promised the three players he would change, and was placed in mandated anger management counseling.

The troubles had already had a strong impact on recruiting. Other schools used their knowledge of the problems against UNC in head-to-head battles, and in at least two major cases (Jason Fraser and Torin Francis), the visiting recruits were told by current and former players who had played under Doherty not to make the same mistake. Rather than vindictively plotting against the coach, the players were only looking out for peers that they had gotten close to through summer ball and all-star events.

That's where most of the "Torin's mom didn't want him to come to UNC" came from. She was told by current and former players to absolutely, unconditionally not allow her son to play for Doherty, less he suffer the same experience they were trapped in.

The summer before the 2002-03 season was relatively quiet, awaiting the arrival of savior recruits. We all thought that maybe Doherty had changed. Our thoughts were supported with a Preseason NIT title...until we lost our first game, a second half meltdown against Kentucky.

The next Tuesday, Doherty may have sealed his own fate during a single practice, where he targeted Manuel especially harshly. Before practice, Manuel was warming up shooting the basketball. Doherty walked out and pounced on his defensive specialist. "Why the @#%$ are you shooting, Jackie?" Doherty asked. "I'm just trying to get better, Coach." Then it really went downhill, in front of the entire team..."You can't get better. You are a @#%$ terrible piece of @#%$, Jackie. You can't shoot, you aren't that good on defense, you can't finish. Why the @#%$ did I recruit you? You weren't a McDonald's All-American. You don't deserve to wear the @#%$ rubber your shoes are made out of!" "I should have gotten James White or Julius Hodge. You know how much God @#%$ better this team would be if you weren't on it? In fact, come to my office right now."

The team follows their coach into his office, where Doherty puts in a highlight reel of the aforementioned White and Hodge. "See! Look how much better they are than your sorry @#%$! Get out of my sight!" A full-fledged player mutiny was underway. Felton, Manuel, Scott, and May were fed up to the point of quitting the team and walking out of traffic. Ironically, it was help from Rashad McCants, now public enemy #2 behind Baddour for the Pro-Doherty crowd, and Will Johnson that convinced those four players not to leave, but the damage was done. The team sent Johnson to talk to Doherty, but it was already too late.

One week later, Sean May became Doherty's target of choice for ridicule in front of his teammates, much in the same manner as Manuel was attacked, and very much exemplary of the way Doherty tore his players down. May's victimization included being called a "fat @#%$" and this statement: "You're not half the man or player your father was."

It wasn't just May and Manuel. At some point, every player on the team received this type of unprovoked, belittling attack in front of his teammates. Nobody escaped Doherty's ire, and at one point this season, every player except for Williams, Sanders, and Grant was planning on transferring because they couldn't handle Doherty any longer. Nor were these isolated incidents-rather, they characterize what everyday life under Matt Doherty was like.

In early February, Chancellor Moeser called Phil Ford about the whispers he had heard about the state of the basketball program for the fourth time. Loyal to UNC to a fault, Ford had felt out of place addressing the concerns, but now, he knew he could be quiet no longer. He told Moeser the whole story.

Immediately afterwards, Moeser called Baddour to investigate and examine the situation. Ford tells the players to keep the issues "in house," meaning away from the public scrutiny of the media. Directly afterwards, the player comments to reporters took a strangely positive turn.

About this time, Scott May became the unofficial voice of the team, athletic department, and players, all of whom were under strict orders to keep the problems "in the family." Meanwhile, the elder May met with Moeser, Baddour, and Doherty many times during February and March.

After investigating the situation, Moeser tells Baddour to handle the situation and make a decision in the best interest of the program. The players are told "if you go through it, we will work it out in the off-season." It's no coincidence that they were told this right before the thrilling victory over Duke.

More relaxed, the players were able to play with more focus and intensity than they had since the preseason NIT. I can't go into specifics here, but the team's desire to not play in the NIT and then their inconsistent performance through much it speaks volumes. They were ready for the season to be over.

Finally, following the loss to Georgetown, Baddour conducts his meetings with the players to find out more. Some players have kept diaries, including 6 pages of critical incidents from Jon Holmes, and Baddour has his decision by that Saturday.

This is the state of UNC Basketball. As cited elsewhere, Doherty alienated many people in the athletic administration, including ticket director Clint Gwaltney, Steve Kirschner, associate athletic directors, associate chairs, secretaries, treasurers, interns, janitors, and almost everyone else associated with the program.

Though it's not pretty, all of the above is absolutely, 100% true. Share with anyone you think needs to know, but keep my name out of it. I trust your eyes have been opened a bit by my confessional, though I am sorry for every Carolina fan that it had to happen.

 

I dont rule out that this could actually be true, but there are very few substantiated facts there. Basically it is just a combination of all of the rumors over the past few years. Regardless, it's over and things will hopefully return to normal.

 

I believe it very well could have all happened. I also think the story may have been juiced a little bit.

 

Im just thinkin' how nice it would have been to have had a happy team with Forte. I guess the same as how nice it would have been with Stackhouse, Jamison, Wallace and Carter on the same team.

 

Well if it's true to that degree, then I am even happier that Doh is gone. The thing is most of the article or letter can't be proven, but I could almost see this being true.

 

Did any Fighting Irish complain about this???

 

According to stories I've read, the staff in the Notre Dame athletic department threw a huge party AFTER Doherty left. Evidently he alienated many people at both school's staffs.

 

that's what I'd read too

 

Yeah, but he left the day before St. Patrick's Day......

 

Well he was right about the Capel boys...