Fan Memories Of Dean Smith: Friday

In the spring of 1965, I was a wet-behind-the-ears freshman at Carolina. The last home game of the season was approaching -- the Duke game of course. This would also be the last home game for Carolina's great All-American, Billy Cunningham, and the last varsity game ever played in Woollen Gym.

My longtime best friend, Sandy, who was a year behind me in school, was headed to Carolina the next year. Both of us had loved Carolina since we were little kids, and for the past three years we had idolized Billy "the Kangaroo Kid" Cunningham. We even tried, without success, to emulate his style of play in our high school varsity games.

I knew how much it would mean to Sandy to see Cunningham's last home game, but of course there were no tickets available. This was a highly-ranked Duke team -- they had played for the national championship game the year before against John Wooden's UCLA team. Tiny Woollen Gym would be packed to the rafters for the Carolina-Duke game.

Not knowing any better, I walked from my dorm room in Avery up to Woollen and asked to see Coach Smith. He came out, was very gracious, and I told him how much it would mean to Sandy if he could come to the game.

Coach Smith chatted with me a bit, then said that unfortunately there were no more tickets available. However, he went on to say that if I would come early and bring Sandy around to where the players entered Woollen before the game, he would get him in.

The day came, a sunny Saturday afternoon in early March. In those days the players actually had to leave the locker room and go outside before entering Woollen for the game. (Perhaps because of the construction work on Carmichael.)

Sandy and I waited nervously, wondering if Coach Smith would even recognize me or remember the conversation. I dreaded the thought of having to run up to him and say, "Uh, coach, remember me? I'm the guy who...." But that wasn't necessary. To my amazement, as soon as Coach saw me, he walked right up, said Hello, gestured toward my friend and asked, "Is this Sandy?"

Coach said Sandy could walk in with the team, and if there wasn't a seat next to me, Sandy could sit on the bench with the team "as an extra statistician."

As this was occurring, Coach Smith was under tremendous pressure. Only weeks before he had been hung in effigy on campus after a bad loss to Wake Forest. And now, at the biggest game of the year, he had the amazing kindness to stop and and take time for a couple of starry-eyed kids.

As it turned out, my seat was in the student bleachers, and Sandy chose to sit with me rather than on the bench with the team. (I wondered what I might have done if the roles had been reversed.)

And what a game it was. When Duke's guards started forcing turnover after turnover, Cunningham, a 6'5" forward, started bringing the ball up court, instead of the guards. Duke could do nothing to stop him. Cunningham dominated the game, and Carolina pulled off the upset win, 71-66.

Last year, sadly, my dear friend Sandy passed away. I was asked to deliver the eulogy at Sandy's funeral. When I did, I made sure to highlight this story, which had brought such great joy to a couple of young kids so many years ago, and which so beautifully illustrates the character of the one and only Dean Smith.

Michael Johnson

When I was five, I had weekly physical therapy sessions at the hospital in Chapel Hill—something about my fingers lacking proper coordination. This was 1967, and Dean Smith's wife at the time worked in the physical therapy clinic. I saw him come in twice, but I was too scared to talk to him. When my final session ended, I waited around, hoping to finally meet him. Although his wife said he should be there soon, we couldn't wait any longer and had to leave. I remember walking down the corridor to the exit, feeling extremely disappointed. It was then that I heard someone behind me say, "Timmy." I turned, and it was Coach Smith coming toward me. As he shook my hand, he said, "I've been wanting to meet you."

I don't recall whether I spoke a word (it's likely I did not), but I know he talked to me for a few minutes. At age five, it was the greatest moment of my entire life. Coach Smith said he had been wanting to meet ... me. With one simple comment, he made me feel very special.

Dean Smith was a great basketball coach, but he was an even better man.

Tim Brooks

I have been married for 17 wonderful years to a wonderful woman who has been with me for every Carolina win and more importantly every loss the tar heels have had over the years. I knew this was the women that I wanted to marry, so we naturally picked a date (Dec. 28 1996) and sent out the invitations. I sent an invitation out to Coach Smith. As it was a winter wedding, it had Christmas trees on the card. Coach couldn't make the trip to Canada as the team was touring Ireland that year during the holidays. On February 17 1997, mid ACC season Coach Smith penned a letter to me congratulating me on the wedding and telling me to take care of Hubert Davis (who was playing for the Raptors) . It was written in Carolina blue ink on University of North Carolina letterhead. Signed at the bottom, "It must have been a wonderful occasion. Dean Smith. " Even during the busy conference season he took the time to write a Canadian fan. That was the best wedding present that I got. Thank you Coach Smith for teaching me how to coach young athletes the right way, the Carolina way.

Chris Williamson

In 1978, Coach Smith came to Gastonia, N.C. to watch the basketball game between Hunter Huss High School (with Eric "sleepy" Floyd) and Ashbrook High School (with James Worthy). During half time I went to the restroom and heard a fan proclaim loudly that he could not believe he was in the restroom the same time as Dean Smith. There was a slight pause of silence... and then Coach Smith responded... "I can't believe it either." The room erupted with laughter!

Warren Bess

It was at the Diet Pepsi tournament of champions that they used to have in Charlotte at the old coliseum on Tyvola. I am not sure of the year (maybe 94 or 95) but after the game, my brother, a friend and I went behind the coliseum where the team buses are parked to see if we could perhaps get to see players or get autographs. The security had barricades up so people could not get close to the buses. Coach Smith walks out and I was able to get to meet him and ask for an autograph on my hat (Still have the hat). After graciously signing my hat, Dean turns and tells the security guards to remove the barricades and “let these guys get some autographs”. My meeting was not long but it left an impression on me and showed that Dean was approachable and cared for the fans. Granted, Dean left greater impressions on our society on and off the basketball court with class and impeccable character.

Daniel Martin

I was a student in the music department in the early 1990s. I attended a jazz concert and Dean Smith came early to buy tickets (he was a fan of jazz), but also bought a few extra tickets with instructions to give them to anyone that didn't have money for a ticket. He always seemed to do a little something extra for others when it was not expected.

Aaron Lefkowitz

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