Dean Smith
American basketball coach (1931-2015) · United States · On the map · Basketball Players · Died at 83
Dean Edwards Smith 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.
Dean Smith is read about 215 times a day, in 21 languages.
A typical day, 30 days to 9 November 2026
The middle day of the days counted, so one week of news cannot move it. The line under it is the last 111 days, one point a day.
Something wrong?A life in dates
People around Dean
Close ties
Clyde Lovellette Teammate at Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball, 1950-1952
Bill Hougland Teammate at Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball, 1950-1952- Bill Lienhard Teammate at Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball, 1950-1952
- Bob Kenney Teammate at Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball, 1950-1952
- Allen Kelley Teammate at Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball, 1951-1953
- John Keller Teammate at Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball, 1950-1952
- Charlie Hoag Teammate at Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball, 1950-1952
- Dean Kelley Teammate at Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball, 1950-1953
- Phog Allen Teammate at Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball, 1950-1953
- B. H. Born Teammate at Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball, 1951-1953
Career 1
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About this person
Smith coached from 1961 to 1997 and retired with 879 victories, which was the NCAA Division I men's basketball record at that time.[a] Smith had the ninth-highest winning percentage of any men's college basketball coach (77.6%). Smith's career total of 879 wins lasted until 2005 when Pat Summitt surpassed him with her 880th victory. During his tenure as head coach, North Carolina won two national championships and appeared in 11 Final Fours. Smith played college basketball at the University of Kansas, where he won a national championship in 1952 playing for Hall of fame coach Phog Allen.
