Dean Smith

Dean Edwards Smith [ di ː n ɛdwəɹz smɪθ ] ( born February 28, 1931 in Emporia, Kansas) is an American basketball coach and a great legend of college sports. In his 36 years as head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels, he won 879 victories, a record among all college coaches that has been broken by Bobby Knight in 2007.

After attending high school ( 1945-1949 ) in Topeka, Kansas, he received a scholarship from the University of Kansas. There he learned under coach Phog Allen, the fundamentals of basketball game. With the team the Jayhawks, he won the 1952 National Collegiate Championship, the year after they lost only in the finale. After his time as a player he was until 1961 assistant coach.

At the age of 30 years he was head coach of the Tar Heels at the University of North Carolina. He quickly formed the team to a top team, but only in 1971 handed it to the NIT title. In 1976 Smith as coach of the Olympic team of the United States at the Games in Montreal gold. In 1982, he won for the first time the NCAA championship, once again succeeded in the 1993. Thrice (1977, 1979 and 1993) was chosen him coach of the year. In 1997, he entered with a record of 879 victories in only 254 back defeats and was subsequently elected by the magazine Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year.

Many successful players were coached by Dean Smith, including Bob McAdoo, James Worthy and Michael Jordan. Some of his players were later also successful coaches, including Billy Cunningham, George Karl, Larry Brown and Roy Williams. On May 2, 1983 Dean Smith was recorded as a coach in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, and on 12 September 2007 in the FIBA Hall of Fame.

In 2013 him the Presidential Medal of Freedom was awarded.

Writings

• With John Kilgo, Sally Jenkins: A Coach's Life. My 40 years in college basketball. New York 2002, ISBN 0,375,758,801th