Every once in a while, someone will ask me where I went to college. The answer to this rare piece of trivia is Guilford.
When I give this answer, what follows next is always the same. There is a blank stare followed by another question. “What’s that?”
Truth be told, Guilford is better known as a Chinese restaurant, but it’s also a prestigious institution of higher learning in Greensboro, N.C. Notable alumni include, well, me.
I mention all this because it was while I was at Guilford I landed my first media-related job working for WFMY, a local TV station. While there, I did my first major interview with none other than legendary basketball coach Dean Smith.
Getting to interview coach Smith was definitely a highlight. I talked about it for years. And considering this column, I guess I’m still talking about it.
Coach Smith died earlier this month at 83 and much has been said over the past 10 days about his impact on college athletics. The statistics speak for themselves.
Smith spent 36 years as the coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels, posting a winning record in every one of those seasons except his first. When he retired in 1997, his 879 career victories were an NCAA Division I men’s record. He won two national championships and appeared in 11 Final Fours.
But the thing that stands out most about coach Smith can’t be found on any stat sheet. He was a man of great character known for running a squeaky clean program with a high graduation rate. This is a stark contrast to so many other coaches who believe the fastest way to success is to bend the rules.
For folks who say Smith coached during an era when college scandals were rare, that is not true. Smith inherited a UNC program in the wake of a major recruiting scandal that resulted in NCAA probation and the ouster of the Tar Heel coach. There were also reports of UNC players being involved in point shaving.
So in rides Smith on his program-saving horse. He operated under the belief that wins and losses weren’t as important as representing the university well. As it turns out, Smith got both as he managed to win games the old-fashioned way, with hard work and coaching innovation.
Doing things the right way may seem like an impossible task as we watch the antics of dozens and dozens of coaches across the nation. Colorado football coach Gary Barnett may be the poster child of impropriety, forced out after it was learned drugs and sex were used to lure prized recruits to the school. On a much lesser level, think of Vol coaches Lane Kiffin and Bruce Pearl.
Coach Smith is proof people won’t necessarily remember what you say, but they’ll remember the way you make them feel. I can’t remember what I asked coach Smith during that interview back in November of 1990 and sure can’t remember his responses. But I do remember leaving the room thinking Dean Smith is a man of dignity.