Dean Smith

Date of Birth: February 28, 1931

Zodiac Sign: Pisces

Date of Death: February 7, 2015

Biography

Dean Smith is a renowned former American collegiate basketball coach, widely celebrated for his long and successful tenure at the University of North Carolina (UNC). He served as the head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels men’s team from 1961 to 1997, guiding them to multiple NCAA championships and cementing his legacy as one of the greatest basketball coaches in history. Smith was known not only for his strategic acumen on the court but also for his progressive stances on social issues, including civil rights and racial integration in sports.

5 Interesting Facts about Dean Smith

1. Dean Smith pioneered the “Four Corners” offense, a strategy that significantly influenced the game’s development.

2. Under his leadership, the UNC Tar Heels won two NCAA championships in 1982 and 1993.

3. Smith coached numerous future NBA stars, including Michael Jordan, James Worthy, and Vince Carter.

4. He retired as the winningest coach in NCAA Division I men’s basketball history, a record that stood for several years.

5. Smith was a vocal advocate for desegregation and was instrumental in recruiting the first African American scholarship athlete at UNC.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Dean Smith

1. “Basketball is a beautiful game when the five players on the court play with one heartbeat.”

2. “You should never be proud of doing what’s right. You should just do what’s right.”

3. “What to do with a mistake: recognize it, admit it, learn from it, forget it.”

4. “If you make every game a life-and-death thing, you’re going to have problems. For one thing, you’ll be dead a lot.”

5. “The most important thing in good leadership is truly caring.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

At the peak of his career, Dean Smith’s net worth was estimated to be around $5 million.

Children

Dean Smith had two children, Scott Smith and Kristen Smith. Both have pursued their own careers outside of their father’s legendary shadow in basketball.