Retired UNC head coach Dean Smith passed away on Saturday night at age 83

[R8RFAN]

Rip Coach Smith

Sad day in Tarheel Land

[R8RFAN]

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Dean Smith doesn't watch the games anymore. The motion on the screen is too hard to follow. Now he thumbs through golf magazines and picture books. Most of the books are about North Carolina basketball. They seem to make him happy. He turns the pages past photo after photo of himself. Nobody knows if he knows who he is.

Music seems to make him happy, too. About a year and a half ago, a friend named Billy Barnes came over to the house to play guitar and sing a few songs. Barnes played old Baptist hymns and barbershop quartet tunes -- Daisy Daisy, give me your answer true. Music he knew Dean liked. But nothing seemed to get through. Dean was getting restless. Barnes asked if he could play one more song.

After every basketball game, win or lose, the UNC band plays the alma mater and fight song. The Carolina people stand and sing. Barnes knew Dean had heard the song thousands of times. He started to play.

Dean jumped to his feet. He waved at his wife, Linnea, to stand with him. He put his hand over his heart and sang from memory:

Hark the sound of Tar Heel voices

Ringing clear and true.

Singing Carolina's praises,

Shouting N-C-U.

Hail to the brightest star of all

Clear its radiance shine

Carolina priceless gem,

Receive all praises thine.

I'm a Tar Heel born, I'm a Tar Heel bred, and when I die I'm a Tar Heel dead!

So it's rah-rah Car'lina-lina, rah-rah Car'lina-lina, rah-rah Carolina, rah, rah, rah!

"It was just pure joy. That uninhibited joy in the music," Linnea says. "It's one of those moments that you know there's more there, or momentarily there, than sometimes you're aware of."

This is what she hopes for now. A moment of joy. A moment of connection. A moment when Dean Smith is still there.

http://espn.go.com/espn/feature/stor...an-smith-story

[chiefzilla1501]

Ugh. Great sports icon. RIP Dean Smith.

[Mr. Flopnuts]

An all time great in his field. Regardless of sport. RIP Dean.

[Chief_For_Life58]

Lawrence: the birthplace of Carolina basketball

[Jimmya]

Rip.

[thabear04]

R.IP. Dean Smith

[Hootie]

very sad

great life he lived, though

coaching MJ in college!?!? what a treat

[siberian khatru]

Having spent the bulk of my childhood in North Carolina (1969-79) Dean Smith and ACC basketball were a huge part of my life. RIP.

[Mother****erJones]

R.I.P. Dean Smith

[Lex Luthor]

Meh. I always thought he did kind of a shitty thing to his alma mater and to Roy Williams when he put so much pressure on Roy to leave KU and go coach North Carolina. Roy had already turned him down once, but he buckled under the pressure from his mentor. Roy said "I just couldn't turn him down again".

Obviously it worked out fine for KU, since they have a coach now who is arguably better and a few years younger. But I always liked good old Roy, and I think he would have been happier if he had stayed at KU. Just my opinion. I remember how he pissed off everybody at North Carolina by displaying a bunch of KU memorabilia in his office. Seemed like he really would have preferred to stay where he was.

[Prison Bitch]

I don't see the problem Brain. Smith was employed by UNC for 40 years, he was never employed by KU. To use an analogy, are all KU grads supposed to donate to, or leave their estates to, the University? Of course not. Smith spent 4 years at KU, that's it. And he got Roy his start and developed Roy for over a decade. There was nothing wrong or weird about him wanting Roy to return.

[BullJunkandIron]

Originally Posted by Hootie 2.0

very sad

great life he lived, though

coaching MJ in college!?!? what a treat

Only person who could hold MJ under 20.

[saphojunkie]

Jayhawks forever. Rip.

[Chiefs Pantalones]

Originally Posted by Chief_For_Life58

Lawrence: the birthplace of Carolina basketball

And Kentucky.

RIP Dean. Jayhawk through and through.