Cass Ballenger: “Thursday, October 9 was a very sad day for basketball and sports fans alike. After 36 seasons as head coach of the North…”

“Thursday, October 9 was a very sad day for basketball and sports fans alike. After 36 seasons as head coach of the North Carolina Tarheels, Dean Smith, the ultimate competitor, left his post and passed the reins to his longtime assistant. With this announcement, Dean Smith ended an era in college basketball. His record of 879 total victories, 11 trips to the Final Four, 13 ACC Championships, and 2 National Championships will never be matched. These stats and scores point out what every basketball fan already knows. Dean Smith is the winningest coach in college basketball history. His impact on the sports history books is only rivaled by his impact on the lives, hearts, and minds of his players. To quote a lesser known Tarheel, Michael Jordan, he says, 'He's like a father figure to us all.' Today I honor a man who represents the best that college sports has to offer, a man of true integrity and class who makes North Carolinians proud that he calls Chapel Hill home. Thank you, Coach Smith, for your many years of commitment. We surely will miss you.”