Written by TIM REYNOLDS
Henrik Rodl was unsure about what he’d do after finishing high school in Germany. He had done an exchange year of study in the U.S., then returned home to complete his required education there and figure out what to do next.
And then Dean Smith took a flight over the Atlantic with an offer.
Rodl’s future became clear.
He returned to the U.S., played for Smith at North Carolina, won a national championship and has enjoyed quite a life in basketball since. Smith’s impact is never lost on Rodl, particularly right now when he coaches the German team in the Tokyo Olympics — 45 years after Smith coached the U.S. to a gold medal at the Montreal Games.
“Coach Smith means a lot to all of his former players,” Rodl said Wednesday. “He was incredible person and an incredible coach.”
Rodl was an exchange student in Chapel Hill, North Carolina — the home of the Tar Heels — before returning to Germany. Smith recruited him and made clear along the way that he would never impede Rodl from playing for his national team during his time at North Carolina.
In this April 5, 1993, file photo, North Carolina coach Dean Smith is hugged by Pat Sullivan, left, as Henrik Rodl (5) and assistant coach Randy Weil, right, celebrate the team’s 77-71 win over Michigan for the NCAA men’s basketball championship in New Orleans. Rodl, now the coach of the German team, says it’s an honor to coach in the Olympics, just as Smith did in 1976. (AP Photo/Bill Haber, File)
That wasn’t an empty promise, either. Rodl was able to represent Germany as a player in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, then returned to Chapel Hill the next season to help the Tar Heels win the NCAA championship.
“He was the best,” Rodl said.
Rodl — who has won championships in Germany as a player and a coach, and is a past German League MVP alongside others like Dirk Nowitzki and Detlef Schrempf — said Wednesday after leading Germany past Nigeria that Smith remains a driving force in his life.
“We miss him, but I think he’s always been the main example for everyone that played for him of how we want to be and how we want to treat our guys,” Rodl said. “He obviously is in our minds, everyone who has played for him, for sure.”
Photo via AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall.
Related Stories
‹
UNC's Down-Jenkins Reaches Finals of Olympic DivingAfter qualifying for the men’s 3-meter springboard semifinals at the Tokyo Olympics, Carolina diver Anton Down-Jenkins sent himself through to the medal round where he placed 8th out of 12 competitors. Down-Jenkins qualified for the medal round by placing 8th out of 18 in the semifinals. He is the first male diver to represent New […]
UNC Alumna, Rugby Olympian Naya Tapper Excels On and Off The FieldTar Heels were everywhere at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, excelling on the track, the pitch and the springboard. But another Tar Heel made a name for herself in a sport not always associated with Chapel Hill: rugby. Naya Tapper, an alumna of the UNC club rugby team, played on the USA women’s […]
UNC's Aranza Vazquez Montaño Named ACC Diver of the Year; Yaidel Gamboa Diving Coach of the YearUNC senior diver Aranza Vazquez Montaño was named the ACC Women’s Diver of the Year on Monday, and UNC diving coach Yaidel Gamboa was named the ACC Women’s Diving Coach of the Year as well. For both, it’s the second year in a row they have won the honor. Congratulations to @FenomenoAra and Coach Yaidel […]
UNC's Aranza Vazquez Montaño Wins 3rd and 4th Career NCAA TitlesUNC’s Aranza Vazquez Montaño is taking even national championships. The senior diver from La Paz, Mexico topped the fields in the one-meter and three-meter diving finals at the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships in Athens, GA this week. In the one-meter competition on Thursday night, Vazquez Montaño cleared the rest of the field by more […]
UNC Swimming and Diving Sweeps Duke on Senior NightWhat better way to celebrate Senior Night than by sweeping your rivals from down the road? That’s exactly what the UNC swimming and diving teams did Friday night in Chapel Hill, posting wins over the Blue Devils on both the men’s and women’s sides. Winning is twice as nice tonight!#GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/3MNaPjCcEa — Carolina […]
Six UNC Athletes Win ACC Weekly AwardsSeveral Tar Heels received recognition from the ACC for their performances during the last week of action. Divers Anton Down-Jenkins and Aranza Vazquez were named the conference’s Men’s and Women’s Divers of the Week, Ally Sentnor of the women’s soccer team was named Offensive Player of the Week, Anita Babic of the volleyball team was […]
UNC Hosting 'Swim Across America' Event for Cancer Research on October 8The UNC swimming and diving teams will host “Swim Across America” at Koury Natatorium on the morning of October 8. The event aims to raise $50,000 for the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, the only such facility in the state. Registration for the event begins at 8:15 a.m., and the event itself starts at 9 […]
UNC Diver Anton Down-Jenkins Named ACC Scholar-Athlete of the YearUNC senior diver Anton Down-Jenkins, already decorated for his achievements in the pool, received an award for his achievements in the classroom Thursday, being named ACC Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Big shout out to Anton Down-Jenkins, the 2021-22 ACC Scholar-Athlete of Year. pic.twitter.com/lxHW27nIRR — Carolina Swimming & Diving (@uncswimdive) April 14, 2022 Along with Down-Jenkins, […]
Former UNC Track Star Kenny Selmon Out in Olympic SemifinalsFormer UNC track star Kenny Selmon fell short of advancing to the finals for the 400-meter hurdles event on Sunday at the Tokyo Olympics. Selmon, who was a four-time All-American while at UNC, placed second in his Thursday heat to qualify for the semifinal. He posted the fourth-fastest time in his semifinal run against seven […]
Germany’s Rodl Still Inspired by His UNC Coach, Dean SmithWritten by TIM REYNOLDS Henrik Rodl was unsure about what he’d do after finishing high school in Germany. He had done an exchange year of study in the U.S., then returned home to complete his required education there and figure out what to do next. And then Dean Smith took a flight over the Atlantic […]
›
