Members of that “family” reacted with disappointment Tuesday when former KU aide Matt Doherty was forced out as head coach at North Carolina and were skeptical about speculation that Williams would return to his alma mater.

“Personally, I don’t think that’s going to happen,” said former KU guard Jeff Boschee, an intern in KU’s basketball office this season who was a freshman during Doherty’s final season in Lawrence. “He went through that and had to make that decision once before. He isn’t going to put himself in that position again.”

UNC courted Williams in the summer of 2000 after coach Bill Guthridge retired, but the former Carolina assistant coach stunned the Tar Heels when he opted to remain at Kansas.

Williams once again is being mentioned as a leading candidate — whether he wants the UNC job or not.

The coach addressed the situation at his Final Four news conference Tuesday, about five hours before Doherty’s resignation was announced in Chapel Hill.

“I got a call 10, 15 minutes ago and somebody said the same thing,” Williams said of reports that Doherty was out. “It’s all I know. There is one other thing I know … This is a very satisfying time for me and my players and the University of Kansas and our basketball program. I’m going to enjoy the hell out of this week, and I am not letting anybody bother me with any junk.

“If it doesn’t have to do with Kansas basketball or my players, great places to eat or rivers to spit in, I’m not messing with anything else. It’s too exciting a time for me and our kids and our program. That’s the extent of my conversation about any other job — whether it’s North Carolina or anybody.”

Williams likely will be asked more questions by national media once his team arrives today in New Orleans for the Final Four, but he said he would answer the queries “the same way. I am not going to talk about anything but this team.”

Friday at Anaheim, Calif., where the Jayhawks were preparing for the NCAA West Regional final, Williams said he would be disappointed if Doherty was fired.

“He’s a guy that I recruited, or helped recruit, and helped coach,” Williams said at the time. “A guy that I hired and worked for me for seven years. That’s the biggest trust you can give somebody, to hire them as an assistant because you’re putting your livelihood, your life and your career in their hands. It’s a guy I not only respect a great deal but someone I care about a great deal.”

Williams has been linked to both the UCLA and North Carolina jobs in recent weeks, and some critics have blasted him for not saying specifically that he won’t pursue other jobs.

He came close, however, in Anaheim.

“I’m the Kansas coach,” he said Friday, “and that’s where I want to be.”

Coaches don’t make a habit of refuting interest in every job opening that pops up.

“As soon as you say you are not interested in job, the next one comes along and the media says, ‘Are you interested?'” said Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings, who worked alongside Doherty on Williams’ staff in 1992-93 when the Jayhawks reached the Final Four. “Then you have to answer it again, and the next time answer it again. They (media) play this word game and say, ‘Coach, all you’ve got to say to squash it is, I’m not interested.’ But then I’ve got to say it again the next time and the next time.”

Williams turned UNC down the first time. That opened the door for Doherty, a former Tar Heel player who had led Notre Dame to a 22-25 record in his first season as a college head coach.

Doherty led Carolina to 26 victories and a share of the ACC title in 2001, but the Tar Heels slumped to 8-20 last season and didn’t play in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1974.

The intense Doherty, 41, brought a different approach than veteran coaches Dean Smith and Guthridge, and three players transferred.

“He was great for me,” said Rex Walters, who played seven seasons in the NBA after his career at KU ended in 1993. “He made me a better player. Different players have different personalities. He’s not for everybody, but no coach is. It is a big change from a coach like coach Smith or coach Guthridge. I can see how some people would be resistant to that kind of change, but two years ago he was the national coach of the year.

“I’m a highly competitive person myself, so I never had any problems playing for coach Doherty. Our personalities meshed pretty well. I think he expects his players to play hard every second they’re on the court.”

Boschee also enjoyed playing for Doherty.

“He’s a stern man,” he said. “He demands a lot out of you, but I never had a problem with coach Doherty. In fact, I liked him a lot.”

Doherty, who worked for Williams from 1992-99, landed a highly-touted recruiting class last year, and the Heels improved to 19-16 this season and played in the NIT.

It wasn’t good enough. He left Tuesday with three years remaining on a six-year contract.

“It’s a sad side of our business if we fire guys after three years,” Stallings said. ” It just doesn’t seem even close to being right.

“It’s just very unfortunate, and I think anybody that knows Matt — anybody who worked with Matt — would be very sad and sorry for him that this happened. Matt is a good guy; he was a good guy when I worked with him and since. He’s still a good guy.”

And Doherty is still part of that “Kansas basketball family,” which could make it awkward for Williams to replace him.

Williams said Friday he had already made his choice.

“In my mind, I’ve already had that crossroad,” he said of choosing between KU and UNC. “When I made that decision, that’s what I thought it was going to be. I haven’t thought about it since. … I thought, ‘Now everybody will leave me alone.'”

But Williams — with 417 victories, nine conference titles, 14 NCAA Tournament berths and four Final Fours in 15 years as head coach — might have to say no again.

“I’m sure he will be back,” freshman guard Jeff Hawkins said. “He loves us too much.”

Williams wasn’t the only coach with Kansas and Carolina fielding questions about UNC Tuesday. Former Kansas coach and UNC graduate Larry Brown told the Philadelphia Inquirer it was “a sad day” for Tar Heel fans.

“My only job is here,” the Philadelphia 76ers coach said. “It’s the only thing I’m concerned with right now.”