Sports Illustrated Dean Smith Special Tribute Issue: The Dean of Coaches

For 36 years, Dean Smith strode the sideline as head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels, but the legacy he established on and off the basketball court will last far longer. Yes, Smith did plenty of winning: two national championships, 11 Final Four appearances, 13 conference tournament titles and a record 879 career wins when he retired in 1997, not to mention an Olympic gold medal. But he'll be remembered too for the way he changed the game with so many innovations-thanking the passer, huddling at the foul line, the four corners offense-that no less an authority than John Wooden called Smith the best teacher of basketball he had ever seen. Smith will also be remembered as the sport's great philosopher king, one who thought deeply about how a game-and a life-should be lived and why the final score is not the final word.Now, in a unique tribute edition, Sports Illustrated honors this dean of coaches with a 72-page commemorative issue devoted to his life and career. Memorable photographs-including a pictorial essay by Rich Clarkson, a longtime Si photographer who first took pictures of Smith when they were schoolmates at the University of Kansas in the 1950s-are combined with classic SI stories by SI writers such as Frank Deford, Curry Kirkpatrick and Alexander Wolff. This is a fitting tribute to a figure who left a true blue legacy.Please note that this product is an authorized edition published by Time Inc. and sold by Amazon. This edition is printed using a high quality matte interior paper and printed on demand for immediate fulfillment. Read more