North Carolina coach - Dean Smith dies at 83

ROSS the ERUDITE · Feb 9, 2015

<h1>North Carolina coach - Dean Smith dies at 83</h1>

Senior member Smith, the fanciful previous mentor at North Carolina and one of the best mentors ever in school b-ball, has died at the age of 83.

“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 family said

“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.”

“Other than my parents, no one had a bigger influence on my life than Coach Smith. He was more than a coach — he was my mentor, my teacher, my second father,” Jordan said in a statement

“Coach was always there for me whenever I needed him and I loved him for it. In teaching me the game of basketball, he taught me about life. My heart goes out to [Smith's wife] Linnea and their kids. We’ve lost a great man who had an incredible impact on his players, his staff and the entire UNC family.”

“I learned so much from him,” Brad Daughtery told ESPN

“Was Michael Jordan competitive on the court?” Dave Hanners told ESPN.

“That’s how competitive coach Smith was. People just didn’t see it in the same way.”

“That did not deter Dean Smith at a difficult time in America and certainly in the South,” Bilas, whose teams played against Smith’s, told ESPN. “He knew what was right.”

Watch Carolina Basketball: Former Players Remember Coach Dean Smith

North Carolina coach - Dean Smith dies at 83

ROSS the ERUDITE

ROSS ERUDITE