Fans, former players attend public memorial for Dean Smith
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (WTVD) -- Fans, former players and coaching colleagues gathered Sunday to honor the late Dean Smith.
The school held a public memorial service for the retired Hall of Famer in the campus arena bearing his name, drawing thousands of fans to pay their respects to the coach whose career made him not only the face of the university and a coaching innovator but also a civil-rights advocate.
It's a culmination of several tributes that have poured in over the past few weeks.
"There Will Never Be Another You", played by the UNC Department of Music Jazz Sextet, filled the Dean Smith Center Sunday afternoon as thousands gathered to celebrate the life of Dean Smith, who passed away at the age of 83.
UNC Chancellor Carol Folt introduced the group by telling the crowd how much Coach Smith loved jazz music. It would be one of several of his loves the crowd would hear about in the public memorial on UNC's campus.
A crowd of thousands cloaked in their best Carolina blue filled the Dean Dome to honor the legend, the coach, and the man. Through the decades, he led so many to greatness.
"If your children or grandchildren ever ask you what was Coach Smith like, simply reply he was the best. Thank you." said Mickey Bell, Carolina Basketball player from 1972 to 1975.
"I'm honored, I'm truly honored to have played for and been an Assistant Coach to the greatest coach ever. Not basketball, the greatest coach, I'm going to miss you Coach," said Phil Ford, Carolina Basketball player from 1974 to 1978 who also came back to coach with Dean Smith.
Many of Smith's former players, some who went on to the NBA, shared heartfelt stories about their coach. Many made the crowd laugh and others told of how Coach Smith not only helped them become great players but also good men.
"Humility, conviction, dedication, compassion, loyalty, bravery and love are a few words which I now know describe Coach Smith," said Eric Montross, Carolina Basketball player from 1990 to 1994.
"If you knew Coach Smith you knew it wasn't about wins or losses. It was about the impact he had on our lives," said Antawn Jamison, Carolina Basketball player from 1995 to 1998.
"I'm really going to miss him," said Phil Ford, the former Tar Heels point guard who ran Smith's famed "Four Corners" offense. "And if there's a model of how we should live our lives, I mean, we need look no further than Coach's life.
The service attracted former UNC players and coaches such as Larry Brown, Kenny Smith and J.R. Reid, as well as longtime Smith assistant and successor Bill Guthridge.
Atlantic Coast Conference commissioner John Swofford, who worked as athletic director here during Smith's tenure, and former Texas and UNC football coach Mack Brown also attended.
"I think for most everyone it's not about seeing this on television, we all have some kind of special reason deep inside of us (to attend)," said Greg Bullard, a lawyer and UNC graduate who drove from Lumberton. "Dean is Carolina."
On Saturday, holding four fingers high into the air, head coach Roy Williams signaled for the Four Corners offense in homage to Smith.
The touching move came after a moment of silence before UNC's game against Georgia Tech.
Fans had gathered outside the Smith Center more than hour before doors opened, with lines stretching around the arena. Fans were also able to sign guest books with their memories of Smith once inside the arena, books that will be presented to Smith's family.
The family held a private church service for Smith last week.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
