by Tommy Vaughan

Created on: March 24, 2007   Last Updated: May 02, 2007

There are any number of current coaches that one could argue is the best in the game. Coach K at Duke, Bobby Knight down at Texas Tech, Rick Pitino at Louisville, and Billy Donovan at Florida, to name a few, would all garner some consideration. But if we're talking about the best NCAA men's basketball coach of all time, there can be only one.

Dean Smith.

Now, as a fan of the N.C. State Wolfpack, it pains me somewhat to admit that a coach of an archrival is the best there ever was, but facts are facts, and I think the facts bear out that Smith easily outpaces all other contenders. There are other names that would get mentioned in this conversation, and they are certainly worthy. Bobby Knight's passing of Dean Smith to gain the top spot on the all-time wins list is quite an accomplishment, and Knight holds the distinction of coaching the last undefeated national championship squad. John Wooden's run of titles at UCLA was certainly impressive, though I highly doubt he would have managed it if his teams had had to play six games to win a title instead of four, as was the case back then.

Dean Smith not only won, but he did it the right way. He brought integration to the UNC basketball program by recruiting its first black player. He also lobbied hard for better treatment of blacks in the community. He graduated nearly 97 percent of his players. He was an innovator. His "four corners" offense was so effective as an endgame that the NCAA brought in the shot clock to stop it. I can't count the number of times I watched the Tar Heels take the air out of the ball with the four corners once they had a sizeable lead in the second half. Then there's the old joke about Dean Smith being the only person to ever hold Michael Jordan to less than twenty points a game.

Smith coached an endless string of players who went on to successful NBA careers. A short list of the more notable names includes Jordan, Sam Perkins, James Worthy, Billy Cunningham, Rasheed Wallace, Vince Carter, Antawn Jamison, and Jerry Stackhouse. There were countless more who had decent pro careers as well. As a Wolfpack fan, it could be demoralizing at times to look at the players Carolina put on the floor. They were an all-star team almost every year.

When you see a player make a shot and then point a finger at the person who made the pass to him, you're seeing a Dean Smith innovation. When you see a tired player hold up a fist to say that he needs to come out of the game, you're seeing a Smith idea. They're simple

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>