Former University of North Carolina head men’s basketball coach Dean Smith died Saturday evening in Chapel Hill. He was 83 years old.
“Coach Dean Smith passed away peacefully the evening of February 7 at his home in Chapel Hill, and surrounded by his wife and five children,” the Smith family said in a statement. “We are grateful for all the thoughts and prayers, and appreciate the continued respect for our privacy as arrangements are made available to the public. Thank you.”
Smith was the head coach of the Tar Heels from 1961 to 1997, retiring as the winningest coach in college basketball. He led the Tar Heels to national championships in 1982 and 1993, to 13 ACC Tournament titles, 11 Final Fours, and an NIT championship, and directed the United States Olympic Team to a gold medal at the 1976 Summer Games.
Certainly a basketball legend. I guess to folks like myself who mostly follow the NBA, his legacy is too often whittled down to being Michael Jordan's college coach and the person who prepared him for the NBA, but that was just one of the feathers in his cap. Beyond his accomplishments on the sidelines, his legacy of running a clean program and the 96.6% graduation rate of his players is also most impressive and worthy of recognition. RIP.
