Dean Smith

Title: Basketball Coach
Birth Date: February 28, 1931
Birth Place: Emporia, Kansas
Residence: North Carolina
Attended: Kansas
Attachment: NCAA basketball

Price range: Contact PAC
Categories: Coaches, Basketball, Sports
Available for: Appearances, Endorsements, Speaking Engagements

Any list of the best basketball coaches of all-time is sure to include a Dean Smith appearance. That’s because, until as recently as 2007, Smith held the record for most wins by a Division I Men’s Basketball Coach. He has to his credit two NCAA National Championships and 11 Final Fours. In addition, Smith’s 77.6 win percentage is the 9th highest of any basketball men’s coach in the history of the game.

But Smith’s success as a basketball coach didn’t started long before he ever took the reins at North Carolina. The best place to attribute Smith’s success is probably his high school days. The son of two Kansas public school teachers, Smith learned a lot about teaching just from being around his parents. It also didn’t hurt that Smith’s father was the basketball coach for his high school team.

In college, Smith also had a great role model. During his playing days at the University of Kansas, Smith was coached to a national title by another legendary men’s basketball coach, Phog Allen.

With roots so firmly entrenched in the history of basketball, it’s of little wonder Smith succeeded when he finally took over his own program. Although his first season as a head coach ended in a losing record, Dean Smith would never post a losing record again. He would also go on to coach and teach (and even fight with) some of the most iconic figures of the game, from his star player Michael Jordan, to his star pupil, Roy Williams, to his star rival, Duke basketball’s hall-of-fame head coach Mike Krzyzewski.

Dean Smith Speaker

Although Smith is best known for his basketball experience, a Dean Smith speaker appearance today is likely to focus on politics. In fact, Smith is one of the leading political activists in the state of North Carolina.

Dean Smith Appearance

Although the last Dean Smith appearance as a head coach took place in 1997, many people believe Smith still had a large influence on the UNC basketball program after his retirement. Smith is said to have single-handedly lured coach Roy Williams to UNC from Kansas after the debacle that was the Matt Doherty era.

Dean Smith Endorsement

As a legend in the eyes of many North Carolinians, securing a Dean Smith endorsement is a sure way to enhance your company’s visibility in the Tar Heel State.