Coaching legend Dean Smith passes away

CHAPEL HILL (FIBA/NCAA) - Tributes are pouring in for Dean Smith, the iconic University of North Carolina basketball coach who died on Saturday night at the age of 83.

A member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and FIBA Hall of Fame, Smith was the head coach of the Tar Heels from 1961 to 1997 and led the team to NCAA titles in 1982 and 1993.

From Charlie Scott, whom he recruited to become the first black scholarship athlete at North Carolina, to Phil Ford, James Worthy, Michael Jordan and numerous others, Smith coached many of the sport's greatest players.

Off the court, Smith made an even bigger impact in Chapel Hill, the state of North Carolina and America, something that United States President Barack Obama on Sunday referred to when commenting on his passing.

Coach Smith showed us something that I've seen again and again on the court - that basketball can tell us a lot more about who you are than a jumpshot alone ever could. - President Barack Obama

Obama said: "Last night, America lost not just a coaching legend but a gentleman and a citizen. When he retired, Dean Smith had won more games than any other college basketball coach in history. He went to 11 Final Fours, won two national titles, and reared a generation of players who went on to even better things elsewhere, including a young man named Michael Jordan - and all of us from Chicago are thankful for that.

"He graduated more than 96 percent of his players and taught his teams to point to the teammate who passed them the ball after a basket. He pushed forward the Civil Rights movement, recruiting the first black scholarship athlete to North Carolina and helping to integrate a restaurant and a neighborhood in Chapel Hill. 

"And in his final years, Coach Smith showed us how to fight an illness with courage and dignity. For all of that, I couldn't have been prouder to honor Coach Smith with [the] Medal of Freedom in 2013..."

Jordan, who played under Smith for three seasons before turning professional after his junior year in 1984, hit a go-ahead shot in the final minute against Georgetown in New Orleans to help secure Smith's first NCAA title.

Other than my parents, no one had a bigger influence on my life than Coach Smith. - Michael Jordan

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."

Smith died peacefully at his home in Chapel Hill on Saturday night.

A cause of death wasn't announced.

His family said in 2010 that he was suffering from a "progressive neurocognitive disorder that affects his memory."

Eight miles down the road from Chapel Hill in Durham resides one of Smith's greatest rivals on the court, USA national team coach Mike Krzyzewski - the long-time boss at Duke University.

He was one of a kind and the sport of basketball lost one of its true pillars. - Mike Krzyzewski

Krzyzewski said in a statement: "I am incredibly saddened to hear of the passing of Coach Dean Smith. We have lost a man who cannot be replaced.

"Dean possessed one of the greatest basketball minds, and was a magnificent teacher and tactician. 

"While building an elite program at North Carolina, he was clearly ahead of his time in dealing with social issues. 

"However, his greatest gift was his unique ability to teach what it takes to become a good man. 

"That was easy for him to do because he was a great man himself. All of his players benefited greatly from his basketball teachings, but even more from his ability to help mold men of integrity, honor and purpose. 

"Those teachings, specifically, will live forever in those he touched..."

FIBA