High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Dean Edwards Smith (born February 28, 1931) is a retired American head coach of men`s college basketball. Originally from Emporia, Kansas, Smith has been called a “coaching legend” by the Basketball Hall of Fame. Smith is best known for his successful 36-year coaching tenure at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Smith coached from 1961 to 1997 and retired as the NCAA Division I men`s basketball record-holder for victories (879), a record which was surpassed by Bob Knight in 2007 and Mike Krzyzewski in 2011. Smith has the 9th highest winning percentage of any men’s college basketball coach (77.6%). During his tenure as head coach of North Carolina, the team won two national titles and appeared in 11 Final Fours.