Roy Williams: When I leave, I want program in good shape

North Carolina coach Roy Williams on Tuesday reiterated his stance that he has no plans to leave the Tar Heels while an ongoing NCAA investigation continues to hang over the program.

"I don't ever want to leave when things ... When I leave, I want it to be in good shape," Williams told reporters during his weekly news conference Tuesday. "And for me, this would have been a very hard time to leave."

Williams, 65,responded vehemently Saturday to speculation that he might retire after the season and be replaced by assistant Hubert Davis, saying, "You have no frickin' idea what you're talking about."

On Tuesday, Williams said he had to take a strong stand not just for himself but also for the program.

"Think about what we've had to do the last three or four years here," Williams said. "We've had to put up with more stuff -- more negative recruiting -- than at any time in my career or at any time in any other coach's career that I ever talked to.

"So I'm thinking, that's just something else that now we've got to answer to."

Williams said that he's never set a firm date for retirement and that the lingering NCAA investigation into bogus academic courses that were taken by athletes -- as well as health issues -- may only be fueling his fire to stay longer.

"I love this place," Williams said. "If I was going to leave, I would have left the first day because I knew I was not involved [in the NCAA violations]. It's pretty simple for me."

And that means not leaving his position with the Tar Heels any time soon.

"I'm going to get old one of these dadgum days," Williams said. "You know, when I'm 94, I don't want to be sitting up here saying the damn thing -- that the NCAA and the university need to get the [NCAA] crap over with. When would 94 be? In 29 more years? Hell, y'all will be dead by then."