Dean Smith, the legendary college basketball head coach of the University of North Carolina, "passed away peacefully" on Saturday following years of battling with dementia, according to the statement issued in the school's website. He was in his home in Chapel Hill with his wife and five children when he died. He was 83.
Smith served as the coach of the Tar Heels from 1961 to 1997. His strategies and relationships with the players and the other members of the team were constantly commended. In 1986, UNC named the basketball stadium after the coach. His most prominent prodigies include Vince Carter, Billy Cunningham, James Worthy and Michael Jordan.
In a statement, Michael Jordan expressed his gratitude as well as shared the gravity of Smith's influence in the basketball player's life. He also extended his sympathies to the surviving relatives of his mentor, who he described as a "great man" with an "incredible impact" not only on the athletes he worked with but also to the whole UNC community.
"He was more than a coach - he was my mentor, my teacher, my second father. Coach was always there for me whenever I needed him and I loved him for it. In teaching me the game of basketball, he taught me about life," Jordan remarked.
Meanwhile, James Worthy, who is currently one of the most sought after sports commentator and analyst, used the social networking sites to commemorate Smith. "There are so many things I could say about Coach Dean Smith but simply put, he is the greatest man I've ever known," he shared in a Twitter post.
Roy Williams, the current head basketball coach of UNC, described Smith's passing as a "great loss." His statement reflected the level of respect and admiration he extends to the late coach as he described the latter as "one of our greatest ambassadors for college basketball for the way in which a program should be run."
"I'd like to say on behalf of all our players and coaches, past and present, that Dean Smith was the perfect picture of what a college basketball coach should have been. We love him and we will miss him," Williams stated.
