North Carolina Tar Heels: Top Five Dean Smith Teams (w/ video)

Jan 5, 2015; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; A moment of silence is held for former ESPN announcer and North Carolina Tar Heels alumni Stuart Scott before the game at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Unless you somehow fell into a coma or are living off the grid to escape government operatives, you have learned the sad truth that the great Dean Smith has passed away. Well known for his time coaching the North Carolina Tar Heels, Smith leaves a legacy of winning and is noted for being one of the great teachers of our generation.

A basketball innovator, Smith took his knowledge of the game and his unrelenting competitiveness to create a basketball powerhouse at Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Along the way he coached a number of great players and led many great teams to conference championships and national titles.

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As a head coach, Smith retired with the 879 wins and a career win percentage of 77.6 percent. He won three national titles and a gold medal at the 1976 Olympic games.

As we remember Dean Smith and his tremendous accomplishments and contributions for college basketball, it is important to recall his impact off the court. Dean Smith promoted desegregation by offering a scholarship to Charlie Scott, North Carolina’s first African-American scholarship player. He also ran a clean program and had a 96.6 percent graduation rate.

Smith had a number of great teams during his time with the Tar Heels. In honor of his life and career, here are five of the best.

Next: Honorable Mention: 1996-97