Photo: University of North Carolina / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Dean Smith is one of those rare figures whose stature has nothing to do with the scoreboard. Yes, he coached at North Carolina for 36 years, but the detail that moves me is his 2013 Presidential Medal of Freedom paired with the Arthur Ashe Courage Award. Those honors recognize a man who fought against segregation off the court as fiercely as he competed on it. A former 178 cm player who became a builder of people, he embodied principle over ego. He passed in 2015, yet I believe he lives on in how his players carry themselves. I deeply admire this quiet giant.
Overview
Dean Edwards Smith (February 28, 1931 – February 7, 2015) was an American men's college basketball head coach. Called a "coaching legend" by the Basketball Hall of Fame, he coached for 36 years at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Dean Smith
- Name (Japanese)
- ディーン・スミス
- Reading
- でぃーん・すみす
- Born
- February 28, 1931 – February 7, 2015
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Pisces / Goat
- Origin
- Emporia, Kansas, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- 178 cm
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- basketball coach / basketball player / engineer
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Emporia High School
- University
- University of Kansas
Awards & achievements
- 2013 Presidential Medal of Freedom
- Arthur Ashe Courage Award
- 2008 North Carolina Award for Public Service
- 1981 North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame
- FIBA Hall of Fame
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Basketball coach — see all → · Basketball player — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.