One more Dean Smith Story

      The younger of my two brothers is something of a 'Renaissance Man' with many interests and talents.  As a graduate of the School of Journalism at UNC-CH, he is formerly editor and still columnist for our local weekly newspaper.  In his early-mid 30's, he went to seminary and is also an ordained minister.  In addition to serving as pastor at his boyhood church, he also works part-time with a nearby Funeral Home.  Additionally, he and his son have a cattle herd.  He stays busy.

    With his permission, I am posting an excerpt from the column that he wrote this week in which he tells of his meeting Coach Dean Smith.

   "He also touched the not-so-famous and lesser known in significant ways as well. I know; I'm one of them.
   In September of 1966 I was a college freshman at UNC, convinced I would be the world's next great sports writer. . . .
Before that could come about, though, I had to first graduate and that meant going to class and turning in assignments and doing well on exams. At first, that entire concept was lost on me, which is one reason I was a freshman for  three years . . .but that's another story for another time.

     Anyway, given my state of mind at the time I reasoned it would be a good idea to interview Dean Smith.  The only problem was that he was as busy as a one-armed paper hanger and I was a run-of-the-mill college student--not one of his basketball players or managers, not a staff member, not a member of the press, not someone who could do anything for him.  I was just an almost 19-year old kid. But not knowing anything but try to make it come about I went on with my plan. . . .
     Finally early one evening I finagled an opportunity to make the call . . . and pulled the Chapel Hill telephone directory from the shelf, thumbed through the pages and came to 'Smith, Dean .....929-or 942-something something.
   With hand and heart shaking, I dialed (yes, 'dialed') the number. After a few rings, it was answered and the voice on the other end was Mr. Smith.
    That threw me for a modest loop; I guess I wasn't expecting him to answer but he did and I stumbled through my memorized speech.
'Is this Dean Smith, the basketball coach at a UNC?'
   'Yes it is . How can I help you?'
     What I wanted to say was something like 'well, for starters you can get my heart to start beating again' but I didn't . Instead I went on with my pre-planned remarks, telling him I was a journalism student at UNC and was wondering if 'I might have a few minutes of your time,'
  'Certainly. When would you like to do it?' (Notice that 'when would you like to do it".)
   'Uh...whenever it's convenient with you, sir.'
    'How about tomorrow morning in my office at 9:00?'  
      By the time 9:00 tomorrow morning rolled around, I had dressed in whatever little bit of best I had and was wanting outside the door to the basketball office in Carmichael Auditorium. 
   My knock on the door was answered by the department receptionist, who welcomed me in, went to  Smith's door, knocked on it and said, 'Your 9:00 is here.'
    Coming out from behind his desk, he walked over to me, stuck out his hand and said, 'Good morning, Bob. Glad to see you.  Would you like some coffee?'
   The fact that I had told him my name only once and he remembered it ranked right up there with breathing at the moment.  I graciously (I think) declined and he offered me a seat and pulled up one beside me rather than sitting behind his massive desk.
   That story is all well and good and so forth but the kicker and what really impressed me to remember the entire scene almost 50 years later is that in his office that day he gave me two hours of uninterrupted time to answer my questions and for those two hours I was the most important thing he had to do. . . .

     The day of his funeral service in Chapel Hill I had the opportunity to be one of the limousine drivers for the Smith family as part of the part-time work I do.  And because of that I had the opportunity to tell that story to his wife and children.
  
    'I never did become that sports writer,' I said to the family. 'But for almost 35 years I've been a minister and I've tried to do like Coach Smith did to me that day - to treat everyone with courtesy and dignity and respect.'

     It would be a lie to say that  I've always been successful in doing that  . . . but I've never forgotten the example and role model that was put before me that day long ago.
   I think that's more important than any of the wins and championships.  Folks who knew Dean Smith well say he thought that himself."

   Bob might have received a scholarship offer that day had he told Coach Smith that when he  played Jayvee basketball, his teammates nicknamed him "Lightning" for his slow locomotion on the court.

     Good story, 'Little Brother'.
          Satchel