Dean Smith Began Historic Coaching Career 59 Years Ago Today

Posted Aug 3, 2020
On August 3, 1961, North Carolina lost a Hall of Fame coach and gained another. Following a major recruiting scandal and rumors of point shaving, UNC Chancellor William Aycock forced coach Frank McGuire to resign and subsequently replaced him with his top assistant — Dean Smith. "It took me about 15 minutes to decide," Aycock said regarding UNC's coaching search. (Inside Carolina)

Related: Basketball, Basketball Recruiting

How far can UNC Basketball go in ACC Tournament without Caleb Wilson?
The 2026 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament starts Tuesday in Charlotte, but UNC won’t play until Thursday (9:30 p.m., ESPN). The Tar Heels enter the postseason...
Tue Mar 10, 2026

The ACC Tournament arrives with the league poised to claim a hefty haul of March Madness bids again
The Atlantic Coast Conference entered the season hoping to create a jolt for men’s basketball, a flagship sport facing a dwindling count of March Madness...
Tue Mar 10, 2026

Podcast: Hubert Davis Live - ACC Tournament Preview, UNC vs. Duke Recap, Fan Questions
North Carolina head men's basketball coach Hubert Davis joins Jones Angell to talk about the Tar Heels' contest with Duke, preview the upcoming ACC Tournament,...
Tue Mar 10, 2026

A new UNC basketball arena could cost over $700M. Here's why and how much the program could make.
For months, the contentious debate over the future basketball arena for the North Carolina men’s basketball team has been fueled, in the absence of numbers,...
Mon Mar 9, 2026