Dean Smith: podcast appearances and interviews

Dean Edwards Smith was an American men's college basketball head coach noted for his long and successful career at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Known as a coaching legend, he coached for 36 years from 1961 to 1997, retiring with a total of 879 victories which was an NCAA Division I record at the time. Smith's teams appeared in 11 Final Fours and secured two national championships. He is recognized for maintaining a high graduation rate among his players, with 96.6 percent earning their degrees, and for promoting desegregation by recruiting the university's first African-American scholarship basketball player. During his playing career at the University of Kansas, Smith was part of a team that won a national championship in 1952 under the guidance of Hall of fame coach Phog Allen. After retiring, he engaged in charitable work and supported liberal political causes. In his later years, Smith suffered from advanced dementia, which limited his public activities. Although primarily known for his coaching, his influence extended beyond basketball through efforts to promote social progress and educational achievement.