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Dean Smith Is one of the Most Decorated and Best Coaches Ever in College Basketball

Autor:   •  February 14, 2013  •  Essay  •  1,039 Words (5 Pages)  •  1,302 Views

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Topic: Dean Smith is one of the most decorated and best coaches ever in college basketball 

 

 

            Dean Smith was the basketball coach at the University of North Carolina. His coaching career started at Air Force where he then went on to coach at UNC. This Kansas born coach could be argued as one of the best coaches to ever coach the game of basketball. His career shows what hard work and dedication will get you. I will explain the glorious life of Dean smith along with his career and his achievements. It will give you a true sense of who he was and how he coached the game of basketball.

            Dean smith was born on February 28, 1931 in Emporia, Kansas. Born a single child of two school teachers, he was always good in school and was not much of a slacker. His father was the coach of the Emporia High School Spartans and won the 1934 Kansas high school state championship in basketball. His team had the first African American player in tournament history. Dean Smith eventually went to Topeka High School were he was a three sport athlete playing point guard in basketball where he lettered on varsity all four years. He was also the quarter back on the football team and a catcher on the baseball team. He was elected all country and all conference in his last 2 years of high school.

            After graduating high school, he attended Kansas University on an academic scholarship. While there, he played varsity basketball and baseball as well as playing on the freshman football team. When playing on the basketball team, he won a national championship in 1952 as well as coming in second in 1953. Upon graduating from Kansas in 1953, he was asked to be the assistant coach under Forrest Allan who had learned the game from the creator of basketball, James Naismith. Though only being there for 2 years, he gained a lot of experience.  After coaching there he then went into the United States Air Force for 3 years. In his final year of being at the academy, they asked Smith to coach the baseball and golf teams. He would eventually coach until 1958 when he got the most life changing offer, that he had yet to realize.

            In 1958 Frank McGuire, the coach of UNC at the time, had asked him to join his coaching staff. After McGuire was forced to resign in 1961 due to alleged recruiting scandals, Dean Smith was asked to step up as the head coach of the Tar Heels. This was a big deal for Dean Smith at the time, especially having to take over from the great Frank McGuire, who had led the Tar Heels to an undefeated season, along with a national championship in 1957. Though, Dean was up to the challenge and willing to try and improve the team from the already great state it was in.

            His beginning years of coaching were ruff and did not start out

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