CHARLOTTE, N.C. --- Roy Williams has repeatedly said that Kendall Marshall and Sean May are two of the five most intelligent players he has ever coached. Now both are official members of his coaching staff at North Carolina. While May is entering his third season as UNC's Director of Basketball Operations, Marshall was officially announced as UNC's Director of Recruiting last Wednesday. It was a title that Williams didn't even know about until the day of, and it'll be an evolving role, according to the Hall of Famer.

May and Marshall are limited by the NCAA in what they can do. They cannot coach the players during practice or go out on the recruiting trail. Their roles are varied, but essentially they act as a liaison between the coaching staff and players. They are an ear and voice for both and since they played for Williams they are able to approach their role with a unique perspective.

Williams said they can relate to the players because "they are more of their generation."

"If the players have problems they go talk to them," Williams said on Tuesday at ACC Media Day in Charlotte. "... They are very helpful with them talking about 'how did you take this as a player.'"

They have been there before, Williams said, adding a different perspective to the staff. May played two seasons under Williams from 2003-2005 while Marshall was at UNC from 2010-2012.

"I go to them a lot and say, 'When I did this to your team, how did you react? What did you think?' Williams said.

Williams was clear that Marshall and May are not allowed a role in coaching within practice or games. "During the course of the game Kendall doesn't sit on the bench, he sits behind us. Sean's got his chart that he keeps for me," he said.

But their unique understanding of the game and what Williams wants can be helpful. The players see them as a resource -- someone who has been there, been coached by the UNC staff, been a student at North Carolina, and knows the expectations and pressures of it all.

"If I have any questions I will shoot them a text and they will shoot me a text right back and I can get answers from them," senior guard Brandon Robinson told Inside Carolina. "Kendall has been a big part of my development here. He always gives me tips on how to be successful."

In his first three years at UNC, Robinson struggled to see the court as much as he would like. He consulted Marshall for ways to get more playing time. "I asked him, 'Man, what can I do to get on the court?' And he would always take time to sit with me and tell me anything I need to know."

Junior forward Garrison Brooks reaches out to May for advice all the time. It makes sense, May is one of the more accomplished big men at UNC. "They are really smart basketball minds," Brooks said. "I look to Sean May all the time for like little stuff I can improve on because he sees what I don't see. I think he is one of the smartest basketball minds I have been around. I just always ask him stuff that I can improve on, stuff I didn't see and anything I can work on to make our team better."

In terms of recruiting, Marshall and May can play a role when prospects visit UNC, but they can't call or go watch recruits. Those responsibilities are reserved for Williams and his assistants. They can and do review tape of prospects and show it to Williams and his staff.

"They have a role in communicating things about our program to prospects through media," Williams said.

"What we are trying to do is be aware of social media and things that we can use in recruiting and be aware of putting out more things for prospects," Williams said during his UNC media day press conference last Wednesday.

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While Marshall's title is Director of Recruiting, Williams thinks the role will be fluid. "It is an evolving position," Williams said last week. "He is going to be aware of what's being used by us in social media to send our story out to recruits. He is going to be involved in finding tape (on recruits). It is an evolving position, it's never been a position I have had.

"The real director of recruiting is (assistant coaches) Steve Robinson, Hubert Davis, and Brad Frederick, because they are guys that are out on the road," Williams added.

The roles of Marshall and May are steps for them to become one of those assistant coaches down the line. And there is no better place to learn than at UNC from a Hall of Famer. "They will both be great coaches," Williams said.