In honor of the birthday of legendary men’s basketball coach Dean Smith, Pit Talk has posted a gallery of photos from moments throughout his coaching career. Happy 80th birthday, Coach Smith!
Click on the gallery on the right-hand sidebar to view photos of Smith’s tenure.
Born in Emporia, Kansas, on February 28, 1931, Smith became the head coach at UNC in 1961, coaching for 36 years and accumulating a then-record 879 wins. He led UNC to two national championships and put the University on the map as a basketball school.
This past summer, Smith’s family announced that he has a progressive neurocognitive disorder that causes memory loss.
The photos of Smith’s tenure come from the Hugh Morton Collection at the North Carolina Collection Photographic Archives, and the entirety of the photos can be viewed online by performing a search for Smith’s name here.
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