Flanked on his right by 5-year-old son, Tucker, and on his left by 3-year-old daughter, Hattie, a relaxed Matt Doherty exited Penny Annie’s Sweet Shoppe on Friday afternoon, a bag of treats nestled in his right hand.

Doherty, North Carolina’s third-year basketball coach and former Kansas University assistant, was enjoying “Mike and Ike” fruit-flavored candy while taking a walk down memory lane on Massachusetts Street in downtown Lawrence.

“Downtown hasn’t changed at all,” noted Doherty, who worked on Roy Williams’ KU staff from 1992 to ’99, then served one year as Notre Dame head coach before replacing Bill Guthridge at his alma mater.

“It looks like the western part of the town has really grown with the housing developments and stripmalls. Lawrence, Kan., and Chapel Hill (N.C.) are very much the same,” he added.

The 40-year-old Doherty, wife Kelly and their two children are in town for four days visiting friends a week before the start of the season.

“We were trying to come back last year, but Sept. 11 hit and we didn’t want to fly. We put it off a year,” said Doherty, who has not spent any extended period of time in Lawrence since leaving the KU staff. “Over seven years we developed some pretty good relationships. I think that’s what I miss most.”

Doherty spent some time at the KU basketball office Thursday and Friday, catching up with KU’s assistants  Williams is out of town at his South Carolina beach house  and also has played a round of golf at Lawrence Country Club with a round at Alvamar Country Club slated for today.

He also had lunch with old pals in KU’s athletic department, pretty much just hanging out.

“A few more gray hairs probably and a couple of kids,” Doherty said, asked how he’s changed since his KU tenure.

His job description has changed drastically.

“I certainly love being a head coach,” said Doherty, who went 22-15 at Notre Dame and has followed that with marks of 26-7 and 8-20 at his alma mater.

“There is certainly some excitement about making decisions and being responsible for a program, but there’s also a lot of comfort in being an assistant for a guy like Roy Williams.

“I enjoy it. There’s certainly been a lot of challenges. I enjoyed my year at Notre Dame. I thought I was going to be there forever, then coach Williams screwed it up and turned down the North Carolina job,” the Irish Catholic from East Meadow, N.Y., said with a chuckle.

“We went back home, which is where I went to school and where my wife is from. It’s been a challenging couple of years. We’ve had some great moments and some tough moments. I think the groundwork is laid for a great future.”

Doherty only chuckles when asked if he’d now be coach at Kansas had Williams accepted the UNC job and not decided to remain at KU during the wild summer of 2000.

“If coach Williams left for North Carolina, I don’t know what would have happened,” Doherty said. “I think he’s probably glad he stayed and I’m probably glad he stayed because I got a pretty good job as a result.”

A good job with lots of demands.

Doherty was named national coach of the year after the 2000-01 season. He was criticized by some after last year’s campaign, the worst in the school’s storied history.

“I think the media in North Carolina have been very fair. They are very realistic, educated,” Doherty said. “The national media  I do not think they understand because they do not see the inner workings, the day-to-day basis. They just see North Carolina loses to Hampton and they say, ‘How does that happen?'” Doherty said.

Some shocking losses last year happened in part because Joseph Forte turned pro early and the Heels lost a pair of veteran players in footballers Ron Curry and Julius Peppers, who elected to concentrate on football only. There also were some recruiting failures at the end of the Bill Guthridge era.

“I think the local media have been very fair and understanding. Obviously we’re going to have to win in the next few years, but I think we have the foundation laid for a bright future.

“It’s been a crazy year this past year, but I’m excited about coaching these kids.”

Doherty has brought in a solid recruiting class including Raymond Felton, Rashad McCants and Sean May, and has received two commitments from standouts in this class.

“I think we are definitely going to be very talented, especially at the perimeter spots,” Doherty said of the 2002-03 Heels. “But we are going to be young. We have nine freshmen and sophomores  six freshmen that will all contribute  no juniors and two seniors that don’t have a ton of experience.”

He’ll worry about basketball next week. This weekend is about relaxing and getting away from the pressure cooker.

“Living in Lawrence and working for coach Williams  those are some great memories,” Doherty said. “It’s great getting to spend some time here again before the season.”