UNC Coach Dean Smith Leaves $200 To Select Players In His Will, Tells Them To 'Enjoy A Dinner Out'
Dean Smith, the legendary UNC Tar Heels coach whose roster included a young Michael Jordan, left a gift in his will to each of the letter winners who played for him during his 36-year tenure, reports ESPN.com.
At the time of his retirement, Smith had coached 879 victories, then the record for NCAA Division I men's basketball. Smith was also the first UNC coach to recruit an African American scholarship student, Charlie Scott.
According to a form letter sent to Dante Calabria, a member of Smith's 1993 national title team, each letterman is to receive a $200 check with the message to "enjoy a dinner out, compliments of Coach Dean Smith."
Smith's trustee, Tim Breedlove, told ESPN.com that approximately 180 letter winners were each mailed a check. "This was the kind of man that he was," said Breedlove. "It's one more example of his thoughtfulness."
Coach Smith willed his trust to send a $200 check to each his former players following his passing. #DeanSmith pic.twitter.com/NyiBhU9taQ
— Jim Dempsey (@ChestPassDemps) March 26, 2015