Legendary University of North Carolina basketball coach Dean Smith has passed away at the age of 83.
Smith passed away Saturday night.
"Coach Dean Smith passed away peacefully the evening of February 7 at his home in Chapel Hill, and surrounded by his wife and five children," the Smith family said in a statement. "We are grateful for all the thoughts and prayers, and appreciate the continued respect for our privacy as arrangements are made available to the public. Thank you."
Smith was the head coach of the Tar Heels from 1961 to 1997, retiring as the winningest coach in college basketball.
He led the Tar Heels to national championships in 1982 and 1993, to 13 ACC Tournament titles, 11 Final Fours, and an NIT championship, and directed the United States Olympic Team to a gold medal at the 1976 Summer Games.
In 36 seasons at UNC, Smith's teams had a record of 879-254.
He set the record for winning more games than any Division I men's coach in history, surpassing Kentucky's Adolph Rupp with his 877th victory over Colorado in the 1997 NCAA Tournament. He finished his career by leading UNC to the Final Four in four of his final seven seasons.
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