Roy Williams on P.J. Hairston situation: There will be consequences

 North Carolina coach Roy Williams on Monday broke his silence on the controversy surrounding P.J. Hairston, the Tar Heels’ leading scorer who was arrested last month and charged with marijuana possession and driving without a license.

At the time of his arrest in Durham, Hairston was driving a rented vehicle that was paid for by Haydn “Fats” Thomas, a convicted felon with a long rap sheet. Hairston received a speeding ticket while driving another rented vehicle linked to Thomas.

Williams had declined comment on Hairston’s troubles but the silence ended on Monday.

“P.J. and I have had several discussions already and he knows he has made serious mistakes and there will be serious consequences as a result,” Williams said in a statement.

Williams added:“Other issues have been written about recently that are disturbing and bother me deeply. Our basketball program is based on great ideals and these issues are embarrassing. These are not common in my 10 years as head coach at UNC and they will all be dealt with harshly and appropriately at the correct time to ensure that our program will not be compromised.”

Here is his statement in full:

“I initially decided not to make a statement about PJ (Hairston) until the legal process had been finalized. I believe that is the fair way that everyone should be treated and is the way of our country.

PJ and I have had several discussions already and he knows he has made serious mistakes and there will be serious consequences as a result. Certainly the idea of suspending PJ has been discussed. However, he is not currently enrolled in summer school, is not practicing with the team and we have no games until November. There are several options available in terms of discipline but we are going to wait until the process is complete to decide on those options.

Other issues have been written about recently that are disturbing and bother me deeply. Our basketball program is based on great ideals and these issues are embarrassing. These are not common in my 10 years as head coach at UNC and they will all be dealt with harshly and appropriately at the correct time to ensure that our program will not be compromised.

We will care about each individual but there will be serious actions taken that will fix these issues. I take pride in our values and how we have conducted ourselves for a long time here at Carolina and this time will pass but it will be dealt with strongly.

We are talking about a program that has been a model of success on and off the court and it will be again. I want to thank our fans for their patience, understanding and support.”

--Andrew Carter