This weekend, the sports world lost one of its greats, and North Carolina lost one of its most treasured citizens.
Former UNC-Chapel Hill men’s basketball head coach Dean Smith, 83, died Saturday night in his home surrounded by his loved ones after years of battling a devastating neurodegenerative illness.
Many sports fans will recognize Smith through his records: 879 wins, two national championships, four-time national coach of the year, and other numerous accolades from his 36 years as a head coach.
During the 1980s, the height of basketball in the state of North Carolina, Smith sat at the helm alongside Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski and NC State’s Jim Valvano.
Not only were these three men the pinnacle of excellence in college basketball for nearly a decade, but there was a deep mutual respect shared between the three, one that is mirrored by the true fans of the three universities.
However, Smith’s impact on the state of North Carolina and the basketball community is one that numbers cannot begin to measure.
Instead, one must look at the lives that Smith influenced during his tenure in Chapel Hill, on and off the court.
Smith coached many of the all-time greats of the game, including James Worthy, Larry Brown, George Karl, and of course, Michael Jordan.
The future success of Smith’s former players speaks volumes to the teachings and values the coach bestowed upon his players. Jordan told ESPN Sunday, “Other than my parents, no one had a bigger influence on my life than Coach Smith.”
In his first years as head coach during the 1960s, Smith recruited Charlie Scott, the program’s first African-American scholarship player. Though the thought of a player of color in the ACC was frowned upon at the time, Smith and Scott were among the first to take the steps toward a more tolerant and accepting league.
But perhaps it was off the basketball court where Smith’s actions defined him. Raised by parents who instilled in him values of treating all people equally, Smith was a staunch opponent of segregation, helped to integrate a Chapel Hill restaurant and helped a black student purchase a home in an all-white neighborhood. He also led efforts to dismantle segregation across the state.
In a profession not known for its political advocacy, Smith spoke out openly against the Vietnam War, opposed the death penalty and called for a freeze of nuclear weapons.
Smith and his Tar Heels may have been rivals to many in the state, but there is no denying his contributions to North Carolina as a citizen will forever remain an integral part of its history.
