Final Farewell: Coach Smith Cherished, Celebrated By Those He Loved

The life and legacy of Dean Smith was publicly celebrated Sunday afternoon in the Carolina basketball showpiece that bears his name, the Dean E. Smith Center. There were few dry eyes in the house as former players, coaches and friends paid tribute to UNC’s priceless gem.

‘Amazing Grace’, sung to perfection by the UNC Clef Hangers, certainly didn’t help those watery eyes any either.

The song, one of Coach Smith’s favorites, was also accompanied by ‘There Will Never Be Another You’ performed by the UNC Department of Music Jazz Sextet. Coach Smith was always fond of jazz music.

The beautiful musical acts accented the poignant words of some of the people closest to the legendary UNC basketball coach.

None may have been closer, though, than Coach Smith’s pastor and friend for over fifty years, the Reverend Dr. Robert Seymour.

“We knew the end of his life was approaching. It has been a long, long goodbye. I’m sure you will join with me in thanking the members of his family and all of those who gave him good loving care for such a long, long time,” Seymour said

Seymour was quick to remind the thousands in attendance that this coming Saturday, Feb. 28, is his friend’s birthday. Seymour shared the card he was planning to send to Coach Smith.

“Were he still in our midst, I have a birthday card I would have sent him. The message is this: Treasured and trusted with a heart that’s true, no wonder we celebrate that God gave us you,” Seymour said.

Coach Smith’s son, Scott Smith, took the time to thank everybody involved in making the memorial event for his father a success.

“We personally witnessed so much of the hard work that went on behind the scenes to make this such a wonderful event honoring a husband, our father and your Coach and friend,” Smith said.

Smith also expressed his father’s love for current UNC coach Roy Williams.

“Coach Williams, dad loved you. He believed in you. He often told us how proud he was of you and how happy he was that you were here at UNC. He knew the basketball program that he loved and developed would be in your great hands going forward, even after he was no longer here,” Smith said.

The Voice of the Tar Heels for over 30 years, Woody Durham, emceed the event and painted a beautiful portrait of Coach Smith’s relationship with Coach Williams that came full circle when he brought him back home to Chapel Hill.

“He was brought to his University by the man he wanted to be around to learn how to be a basketball coach. And then when the time came and the Coach thought it was right, he sent him to his alma mater, as the head coach of the University of Kansas. And then when it was the right time to bring him home, he did that too,” Durham said.

Coach Williams recalled a time he got a pretty significant phone call but wouldn’t let it interrupt a meeting with one of his players.

“I’ve got a player in the office, and she [secretary] opened the door and stuck her head in. I looked and said, ‘What?’ You just don’t do that. She said, ‘Former President Bush is on the phone.’ I said, ‘Would you please tell him we’ll call him back,'” Coach Williams said.

As it turned out, President Bush just wanted a couple tickets to the upcoming game. But the funny anecdote illustrates Coach Williams carrying on Coach Smith’s tradition of the Carolina family – an unwavering loyalty to his players and staff.

But that kindness and compassion stretched out further, as Coach Williams pointed out.

“Every day our lives will show something that Coach Smith gave us – the way we treat people, the way we treat people with respect and dignity, and the way we care. That’s what Coach Smith did,” Coach Williams said.

Coach Smith revolutionized the game of basketball in many ways – the Four Corners offense and pointing to the passer are just two of them.

In UNC’s win over Georgia Tech Saturday, Coach Williams paid tribute by running the iconic Four Corners offense that comforted Tar Heel fans and enraged opponents for years.

Fittingly, Coach Williams took another page out of his mentor’s playbook Sunday and called for the crowd in attendance to point skyward up at Coach Smith.

“I’m trying to speak on behalf of every one of us. Everybody has negatives. Everybody has plusses. Coach Smith had more plusses than anybody I’ve ever known. Let’s raise our hand, point and thank him for the assist. Thank you,” Coach Williams said.

WCHL’s own Freddie Kiger put together a touching video tribute to Coach Smith. It closed out the proceedings on an emotional day inside the Smith Center.