Fan Memories Of Dean Smith: Thursday

I happened to meet Coach Smith at Laguardia Airport in New York one time. I went up to him, introduced myself, and said I just wanted him to know UNC had fans in New York. Then I excused myself, saying I didn't want to take any more of his time. But he stopped me and asked me about myself, how long I had been in New York, and what I did for a living. He was excited to hear that I was a math teacher and said that he had also taught math for a time. A classy man who did the right thing simply because it was the right thing to do.

Beth Trilling

I am a nurse, was assigned to care for Mr. Smiths sister in a hospital in Raleigh. The most impressionable thing that will always remain with me is, as he was leaving, a visitor with is 6 year old daughter saw him and wanted meet him. Mr. Smith stooped down eye level with her shook her hand, asked her name and talked to her for several minutes. I will always remember the time he spent with her, and the look on this childs face and in her eyes. In my career I've had the opportunity to come in contact with other coaches, that did not have(nor did not) show the interest/caring attitude that Mr. Smith did in those few short minutes.

Linda Harris

In 1970, I was a pharmacy student walking across Columbia Avenue after an 11 AM class was over intending to hitchhike to my fraternity house on Finley Golf Course Road when a car stopped before I could even get my thumb in the air. The older gentleman asked, "Where ya headin'?" I told him, "To the Kappa Psi house on Finley Golf Course Road." He told me to hop in, because he was going to the Pines Restaurant.

During the short ride, we chit-chatted (I don't remember the topics, but I do remember that the conversation could easily have taken place if the driver had been clerk at Walmart). As we turned the corner at the Pines Restaurant onto Finley Golf Course Road, he asked, "How far down is the Kappa Psi house?" I told him that it was the 1st house (at that time) on the right, right across from the #13 tee. He said that he'd gladly take me right to the front door. As usual just before lunchtime, there were 1/2 dozen or so Brothers horsing around on the front porch. After I got out of the car, one of my fraternity brothers recovered from dropping his jaw and asked, "Who was that driving that car?" I said, very nonchalantly, "Oh, that was my buddy, Coach Dean Smith."

Richard Kennedy

At the time, mid-1990's, I was the academic vice president at Florida Community College at Jacksonville and our daughter was13-14 years old. So in the fall, Jacksonville University, with whom I had several associates from our articulation efforts, was to play the Tar Heels in Chapel Hill. As a graduate of UNC, and given that my daughter, Amy, also was a big fan, I approached the JU vice president regarding the possibility of having tickets and, to my joy and surprise, they had tickets we could purchase. And, to top it off, we were invited to join a bus load of cheerleaders, administrative staff, spouses of the coaches and Jacksonville media for the 7-8 hour bus trip to Chapel Hill. Amy was extremely excited about the news, and we shared the reality that we would really have to low key, rather hide, our support for the Tar Heels while being on the opponent's bus for the long bus journey.

When we got to Chapel Hill and checked into the motel, there was a written message for Amy from a person in the basketball office, asking her to give the office a phone call. Unbeknownst to me, she had written Coach Smith just to tell him that she and her dad were coming to the game from Jacksonville and would be on the Jacksonville University bus. When she then called the office, the message from Coach Smith was an invitation for her to come to the basketball office before the game, as the Coach wanted to meet her and say hello. Fortunately, she asked if she could bring along her father.

Imagine our emotions in trying to hold back our enthusiasm and delight in being invited to meet with Coach Smith and visit the inner parts of the basketball offices -- while riding in that green and gold JU bus to the Smith Center. We found our way to the basketball office, not telling anyone on the bus of our destination before the game and concealing our Carolina blue shirts under our plain outer jackets and hiding my UNC baseball cap. The Coach spent several minutes talking to Amy about her education and future plans and showed us around the office area briefly. It was great fun.

She was absolutely thrilled. The Heels won the game, fortunately, and yes, we just had to tell the whole bus load of disappointed JU fans on the long trip back to Jacksonville that indeed we had met with the Coach.

Dr. Tim Lightfield

The first was in 1966 in Charlottesville, Virginia. I was a senior at Carolina and had hitchhiked to visit a friend and see the basketball game against Virginia. While at the preliminary game, I became concerned about how I was going to get back to Chapel Hill. I noticed Coach Smith in the stands, told him my situation, and asked if he knew anyone who could give me a ride back to Chapel Hill. He pointed out a man and his wife from Durham, and suggested they might be able to help. He told me to inform them that he had sent me to talk with them and if that did not work out to come to the locker room after the game and I could fly back with the team. I proceeded to talk with this couple but they were not returning to Chapel Hill until later in the week. The game with Virginia ended with the Cavaliers getting off about four shots in the last 10 seconds (or something similar) and Carolina lost the game. When I got to the locker room, Larry Brown, who was an assistant coach at that time, told me to wait outside and to get on the bus after the team so that we could fly back. However, due to a heavy snowstorm, we had to stay in Charlottesville that evening. I shared a room with the managers in the motel and we took a bus back to Chapel Hill the next day. I have often thought about that weekend and how lucky I was to have been treated so kindly by Coach Smith. I doubt that there are many, if any, coaches who would have done what Coach Smith did for me.

Robert Angell

In 1986, JR Reid was a freshman who was having an incredible year- clearly the best freshmen in the country. Yet coach Smith was firmly on record as being against freshman eligibility. He believed young students should not be thrust into the limelight without first having a year to adjust to college life. He felt that easing them into major athletics would improve their academic achievement and remind them of what their college priority should be. At the time, I was a broadcast journalism student at UNC.

As part of a class assignment, I requested an interview with Dean Smith about this. Incredibly, he consented and kindly allowed me to interview him in the memorabilia room of the "Dean Dome" - a bldg. literally named after him. He did this on the afternoon of a nationally-televised game with Wake Forest. That pretty much sums up Coach Smith. He took time out of an important game day just to help a Carolina student whom he'd never met to complete a class project that no one but a few students would ever see. We all know he always preached selflessness on the court, but he also lived it off the court. What a man.

Bill Fleming

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