Dean Smith Net Worth

Dean Edwards Smith net worth is
$5 Million

Dean Edwards Smith was born on 28 February 1931, in Emporia, Kansas, USA. He was a basketball head coach, best known for coaching the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for 36 years, and earning coaching legend status from the Basketball Hall of Fame. He’s also the reason the university gave an athletic scholarship to the first African-American basketball player. His efforts helped raise his net worth to a high point prior to his passing.

How rich was Dean Smith? As of early-2016, sources estimate a net worth that was at $5 million, mostly earned through a successful career as a coach. Aside from basketball, he was very active in charity and liberal politics. He was also an inspiration for many athletes to graduate, and all of these efforts helped in raising his wealth.

Dean Smith Net Worth $5 Million

Dean was born into a family with both parents working as school teachers, and his father coached the Emporia High Spartans basketball team towards a 1934 Kansas State title. The team was well known for having the first African-American player in a Kansas tournament. He attended Topeka High School where he played basketball, football and baseball. After matriculating, he attended the University of Kansas on an academic scholarship, studying mathematics and playing all three sports he had played in school. His basketball team won the national championship in 1952, and reached the NCAA finals the following year. After graduating from the university, Dean tried his hand at being an assistant coach for a year.

Smith then went to Germany, serving in the United States Air Force, and helped the Air Force academy’s golf and baseball teams as a coach. When he left the USAF, he became an assistant coach for the University of North Carolina, and served as such for three years. He then became head coach, but during his first year the university was plagued with a school scandal that led to only 17 games in the season and a losing record. Eventually, they bounced back and won multiple games and the school was known to never finish worse than third place in the championships. In the late 1960s, Smith’s team would go on and win tournaments as well as consistently appear in Final Fours. Dean earned his first national championship during 1981, with future NBA players James Worthy, Sam Perkins and Michael Jordan. The game itself was won by a shot made by Michael Jordan during the final seconds of the game. Smith would earn a second championship during 1992 in which they were the top seed entering the tournament, and won the title thanks to an unforced error caused by Chris Webber on the opposing team.

In 1997 Smith would retire, citing that he no longer had the same enthusiasm he used to have for coaching. His family would later state that Dean had been suffering from a neurological condition which affected his memory.

For his personal life, it is known that he was married to Ann Cleavinger in 1954, just before he was deployed to the Air Force. They have three children and would later divorce in 1973. He then went on and married Linnea Weblemoe during 1976, and they have two daughters. At the age of 83, Smith died surrounded by his family. It was reported that in his will he had left a $200 check to each of his former lettermen and a statement that they should enjoy a dinner compliments of their coach.


Net Worth$5 Million
Date Of BirthFebruary 28, 1931
Died2015-02-07
Place Of BirthEmporia, Kansas, USA
ProfessionFormer African American basketball player, American head basketball coach
EducationTopeka High School, University of Kansas
NationalityAmerican
SpouseLinnea Weblemoe (m. 1976–2015), Ann Cleavinger (m. 1954–1973)
IMDBwww.imdb.com/name/nm0807912
AwardsBasketball Hall of Fame, Kansas Sports Hall of Fame (1996), FIBA Hall of Fame (2007), National Coach of the Year, ACC Coach of the Year,
Record LabelsTeam Coached - North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball (Head coach, 1961–1997)
#Fact
1Was lifelong friends with his assistant coach Bill Guthridge. Guthridge succeeded Smith as head coach of the University of North Carolina men's basketball team from 1997-2000, reaching Final Four in 1998 and 2000.
2Inducted into the FIBA (International Basketball Federation) Hall of Fame in 2007 (inaugural class).
3Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013 by President Barack Obama.
4College coach of players including Larry Brown, George Karl, Michael Jordan, Sam Perkins, James Worthy, Buzz Peterson, Matt Doherty, Charles Scott, Rasheed Wallace, and Jerry Stackhouse.
5One of three coaches to win the NIT (1971), NCAA Championship (1982 and 1993), and an Olympic gold medal (1976) as a head coach. Bob Knight and Pete Newell are the only other two to accomplish such a feat.
6Wife Linnea is a psychiatrist and anti-porn activist
7Has five children: daughters Sandy, Sharon, Kristen Caroline, and Kelly Marie; son Scott
8Though a Democrat, he supported the losing campaign of Richard Vinroot (who played for Smith in the sixties) for Governor of North Carolina in 2000.
9The "Dean Dome", UNC's home court, is named in his honor. The real name is the the "Dean E. Smith Center". It is nicknamed the "Dean Dome" by the fans and the local media.
10President, National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) (1982).
11National championships (1982, 1993). 11 Final Fours (1967-1969, 1972, 1977, 1981, 1982, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1997), second only to UCLA and John Wooden's 12 appearances. 13 ACC Tournament championships (1967-1969, 1972, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1989, 1991, 1994, 1997).
12Innovations by Smith: The four-corner offense, run-and-jump defense and foul-line huddle.
13Holds the record of 23 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances.
14Head coach for the United States Air Force Academy in Germany (1954-1955) and University of North Carolina (1961-1997).
15Graduate assistant for the University of Kansas (1953-1954).
16Enshrined in North Carolina Hall of Fame (1981).
17Compiled a record 65 NCAA Tournament victories.
18Coached the U.S. to the 1976 Olympic gold medal.
19Coach of the Year in 1977 (NABC), 1979 (Basketball Weekly, USBWA), 1982 (Medalist) and 1993 (Naismith). ACC Coach of the Year eight times (1967-1969, 1971, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1988, 1993). Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated (1997). John R. Wooden Award (1999).
20Became the NCAA's all-time winningest coach (879-254, .776) following a 94-74 victory over Louisville in the 1997 NCAA Tournament.
21Assistant coach for the United States Air Force Academy (1955-1958) and University of North Carolina (1958-1961).
22Enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1983.
23Former head basketball coach at the University of North Carolina. One of only two people to play on a NCAA Basketball Champion (Kansas) and coach a NCAA Basketball Champion (North Carolina). The other is Bobby Knight.

Self

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Without Bias2009Himself - Fmr. North Carolina Tar Heels Head Coach-Hall of Famer
The Top 5 Reasons You Can't Blame...2006-2007TV SeriesHimself
ESPN 25: Who's #1?2004-2007TV Series documentaryHimself
ESPN SportsCentury2000-2006TV Series documentaryHimself
The Southern Sports Awards 20052005TV SpecialHimself - Lifetime Achievement Award
Michael Jordan to the Max2000DocumentaryHimself
The Sport Jerks1998TV SeriesHimself
He Got Game1998Himself
Charlie Rose1997TV SeriesHimself - Guest

Archive Footage

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Mike & Mike2015TV SeriesHimself - Basketball Hall of Famer
Runnin' Rebels of UNLV2011TV Movie documentaryHimself (uncredited)
Rebels on the Run: The Rise and Fall of UNLV Basketball2005TV Movie documentaryHimself (uncredited)
Tragedy to Triumph: The Maryland Terrapin Odyssey2003TV Movie documentaryHimself - Coach: University of North Carolina, '60-'97

Known for movies

Source
IMDB Wikipedia

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