Dean Smith, Former UNC Basketball Head Coach, Dies at Age 83

Legendary North Carolina men's basketball coach Dean Smith, who pushed the Tar Heels to national prominence during his four decades on the bench, died Saturday evening. He was 83.

"Coach Dean Smith passed away peacefully the evening of February 7 at his home in Chapel Hill, and surrounded by his wife and five children," the Smith family said in a statement issued by the university. "We are grateful for all the thoughts and prayers, and appreciate the continued respect for our privacy as arrangements are made available to the public. Thank you."

On Monday, Dijana Kunovac of InsideCarolina shared details on Smith's memorial service:

Taking over a struggling North Carolina program in 1961, Smith began what can only be described as one of the greatest coaching runs in sports history. He led the Tar Heels to 11 Final Fours, 17 ACC regular-season titles and two national championships. When Smith retired following the 1996-97 season—a campaign that included his last Final Four appearance—he was the Division I all-time leader in wins (879).

Bob Jordan/Associated Press

During Smith's tenure, North Carolina became known for on-court excellence and producing some of the most iconic talents of the 20th century. Michael Jordan, James Worthy, Vince Carter and a number of others all owe a piece of their storied careers to Smith. Despite his NBA success, the name Jordan is still as synonymous with Chapel Hill as it is with Chicago—in part because of his lasting relationship with Smith.  

Jordan shared his thoughts, courtesy of Yahoo Sports' Marc J. Spears:

"Players with different backgrounds, different outlooks, different potential: He seemed to be able to reach all of them the same way," Jordan said in 2013, per Rick Bonnell of The News and Observer. If you talk to a guy who never got off the bench, he says the same thing I say. That’s what a father figure is really like—he never put one kid above the other."

Gerry Broome/Associated Press

Smith has also produced one of the greatest coaching trees in basketball history. Current North Carolina head coach Roy Williams, SMU coach and NBA legend Larry Brown, and former NBA coach George Karl are just three of the greats who got their start under Smith as either a player or assistant. Williams released a statement on Smith's passing, which the university provided Sunday:

"

I’m 64 years old and everything I do with our basketball program and the way I deal with the University is driven by my desire to make Coach Smith proud. When I came back to Carolina, the driving force was to make him proud and I still think that today.

I’d like to say on behalf of all our players and coaches, past and present, that Dean Smith was the perfect picture of what a college basketball coach should have been. We love him and we will miss him.

"

Smith belongs to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (Class of 1983), College Basketball Hall of Fame (2006) and FIBA Hall of Fame (2007). He was a four-time Coach of the Year and continues to hold a number of all-time records at North Carolina and in the ACC.

Carol L. Folt, UNC-Chapel Hill chancellor, released a statement as well, courtesy of the school's website:

"

Our Carolina community is deeply saddened by the passing of Dean Smith. Coach Smith was an extraordinary man who cared deeply about people. Known worldwide as a legendary basketball coach, our University, the Chapel Hill community, and the countless students, faculty, staff and people across North Carolina and beyond will remember him as a great teacher and remarkable pioneer in promoting equality and civil rights. For Coach Smith, his players, coaches and staff were family. He was a trusted mentor whose care for his players went beyond the basketball court and continued after they left Carolina. He will be remembered as a great American and true Tar Heel.

"

Smith's health had been deteriorating for more than a year, most notably suffering from dementia. As John Feinstein noted in a story for The Washington Post, Smith had begun showing the early signs nearly a decade ago, and his health slowly faded from there.

"Of all people, for it to happen to him is beyond cruel," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said last year, per Feinstein. "You’re talking about the person who had the sharpest mind and the most remarkable memory of anyone I’ve ever met. It’s just not fair."

In 2013, President Barack Obama presented Smith's wife Linnea with the Presidential Medal of Freedom on his behalf. It's the highest honor a sitting president can bestow upon a citizen.

Dean Smith is survived by his wife and five children.

Follow Tyler Conway (@tylerconway22) on Twitter